Things are changing in railways with more power and freedom to spend at the lower tiers
Beyond the ballyhoo of the 1.08 lakh crore bullet train project and the much-delayed dedicated Freight Corridor—two projects being closely monitored by the prime minister’s office (PMO) and facing problems of land acquisition—the 165-year-old Indian Railways has undertaken a more formidable task of rebuilding itself.
While ways and means are being figured out to ensure that the big-ticket projects remain on track, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has something to show in the run-up to the 2019 general elections, the railways is also working on a longterm project to transform the behemoth into a self-sustaining organisation. The aim is to let the railway board work as a policymaking body and empower the field staff to run the organisation.
On an inspection visit to Dhanad division on November 30, 2017, railway board chairman Ashwani Lohani was informed about problems faced by employees in getting specialised medical treatment as the local railway hospital did not have adequate facilities. The same day, he put out a message on the WhatsApp group— Lohani and 68 divisional railway managers (DRMs) and other senior railway board officers are on it—saying that the power to empanel hospitals must be delegated to the DRMs. That was taken as his authorisation and an official circular was issued the same evening. Such a decision would otherwise have taken months after moving a file. An order over social media would have been considered blasphemous until a few months ago.
Denne historien er fra September 17, 2018-utgaven av Outlook.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra September 17, 2018-utgaven av Outlook.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Trump's White House 'Waapsi'
Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election may very well mean an end to democracy in the near future
IMT Ghaziabad hosted its Annual Convocation Ceremony for the Class of 2024
Shri Suresh Narayanan, Chairman Managing Director of Nestlé India Limited, congratulated and motivated graduates at IMT Ghaziabad's Convocation 2024
Identity and 'Infiltrators'
The Jharkhand Assembly election has emerged as a high-stakes political contest, with the battle for power intensifying between key players in the state.
Beyond Deadlines
Bibek Debroy could engage with even those who were not aligned with his politics or economics
Portraying Absence
Exhibits at a group art show in Kolkata examine existence in the absence
Of Rivers, Jungles and Mountains
In Adivasi poetry, everything breathes, everything is alive and nothing is inferior to humans
Hemant Versus Himanta
Himanta Biswa Sarma brings his hate bandwagon to Jharkhand to rattle Hemant Soren’s tribal identity politics
A Smouldering Wasteland
As Jharkhand goes to the polls, people living in and around Jharia coalfield have just one request for the administration—a life free from smoke, fear and danger for their children
Search for a Narrative
By demanding a separate Sarna Code for the tribals, Hemant Soren has offered the larger issue of tribal identity before the voters
The Historic Bonhomie
While the BJP Is trying to invoke the trope of Bangladeshi infiltrators”, the ground reality paints a different picture pertaining to the historical significance of Muslim-Adivasi camaraderie
