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.
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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.
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Layers Of Lear
Director Rajat Kapoor and actor Vinay Pathak's ode to Shakespeare is an experience to behold
Loss and Longing
Memories can be painful, but they also make life more meaningful
Suprabhatham Sub Judice
M.S. Subbulakshmi decided the fate of her memorials a long time ago
Fortress of Desire
A performance titled 'A Streetcart Named Desire', featuring Indian and international artists and performers, explored different desires through an unusual act on a full moon night at the Gwalior Fort
Of Hope and Hopelessness
The body appears as light in Payal Kapadia's film
Ruptured Lives
A visit to Bangladesh in 2010 shaped the author's novel, a sensitively sketched tale of migrants' struggles
The Big Book
The Big Book of Odia Literature is a groundbreaking work that provides readers with a comprehensive introduction to the rich and varied literary traditions of Odisha
How to Refuse the Generous Thief
The poet uses all the available arsenal in English to write the most anti-colonial poetry
The Freedom Compartment
#traindiaries is a photo journal shot in the ladies coaches of Mumbai locals. It explores how women engage and familiarise themselves with spaces by building relationships with complete strangers
Love, Up in the Clouds
Manikbabur Megh is an unusual love story about a man falling for a cloud. Amborish Roychoudhury discusses the process of Manikbabu's creation with actor Chandan Sen and director Abhinandan Banerjee
