341 the Appropriation [4 MAY 1994] No. 2 Bill & No. 3 342 (Railways)

341 T he Appropriation [4 MAY 1994] No. 2 Bill & No. 3 342 (Railways) Bill 1994. THE MINISTER OF RAILWAYS (SHRI C. K. JAFFER SHARIEF) Yes, Madam, today. I will be mucli obliged if I can be permitted to reply today, if the business can be finished today. SHRI SHANKAR DAYAL SINGH (Bihar) : Madam, you fix the time ? THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: I am fixing the time . We have got five hours for the discussion including the Minister's reply. So, it is five hours from now. If you don't want to go for lunch, we can sit through the lunch hour. We should not delay the train.......... (Interruptions) 1. THE BUDGET (RAILWAYS) 1994-95, SHRI.H. HANUMANTHAPPA (Karnataka): Madam, Deputy Chairman, 2. RESOLUTION APPROVING the way in which the discussion is going RECOMMENDATIONS IN on, it may not take much more time. The PARAS 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 AND 34 Railway Minister is travelling very safely OF FIFTH REPORT OF across the discussion, lam observing since RAILWAY CONVENTION yesterday that the Railway Minister is COMMITTEE, 1991, travelling across the discussion very safely. 3. THE APPROPRIATION (RAILWAYS) NO. 2 BILL, 1994 THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: We hope there will be no accident. AND SHRI.H. HANUMANTHAPPA: I 4. THE APPROPRIATION heard Mr. Shankar Dayal Singh's speech (RAILWAYS) NO. 3 BILL, also yesterday. 1994-Contd. THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN : We THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: Now we want no accidents, no chain-pullings and will take up the discussion on the no obstructions. So, you can go ahead. Railways. Before we start the discussion, I would SHRIH. HANUMANTHAPPA: request the Member that they should abide Madam, before I start, I will say that by the time allotted to their parties so that, somebody asked me whether I was going to if we can finish the discussion today, we praise Mr. Jaffer Sharief. I said, can have the reply tomorrow. If it is ''Everybody else has praised him. Why possible, we will finish it today. should I also praise him?" He said, "Everybody has put something. You also THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE give him a rose." This is the nature of the MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY discussion. Even Sunder Singh Bhandariji AFFAIRS (SHRI-RAMESHWAR who has initiated the discussion, also came THAKUR):Madam the hon. Railway out with suggestions. Actually, by and Minister has a question. large, the Railway Minister has mesmerised everybody, including the CPI (M) THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: Do you Members. want to reply today? 343 The Appropriation [RAJYA SABHA] No. 2.Bill & No. 344 (Railways) Bill 1994. SHRI GURUDAS DAS GUP'TA: Madam, actually, this Railway Minister, (West Bengal): We are having a res- after becoming the full-fledged Minister, has ponsible Opposition. contributed much to national integration which is talked about day in and day out. In SHRIH. HANUMANTHAPPA: our ethics we call India as "Aasetu A responsive Opposition, not a responsible Hirnachala... (Interruptions) Opposition. I will come to Karnataka later. ... (Interruptions) THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: Before Mr. Hanumanthappa starts his train. I would India has been described as like to introduce Miss Saroj Khaparde, a "Kanyakumari to Kashmir." India is one. member on the new Panel of Vice- India is described as "Aasetu Hirnachala." Chairmen which the hon. Chairman has appointed. I announced it yesterday. She would be sitting in the Chair. Please co- operate with her as you co-operate with me.. (Interruptions) If we describe our country as "Aasetu Himachala", we should make this country SHRI GURUDAS DAS GUPTA : one network of travel. We should have 1 hope she will be a s indulgent as you unigauge system. are. Madam, here, unfortunately, the people THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: She will who were under the direct control of the strictly abide by the time. Miss Saroj British regime, have been very much Khaparde, be strict with the time. You benefited by the Britishers' plan on the follow what 1 do. railway infrastructure. The difficu ty is of people like me, who are coming from Princely States, who did not have the finances and who did not even think of [The Vice-Chairman (Miss Saroj linking it to provinces which were directly Khaparde) in the Chair]. under the control of the British Empire. DR. BIPLAB DASGUPTA SHRI GURUDAS DAS GUPTA : (West Bengal) : You were more fortunate. be want you to be as indulgent as she is. SHRI H. HANUMANTHAPPA: But your speeches in either House THE VICE-CHAIRMAN (MISS unfortunately are not on those lines, because SAROJ KHAPARDE): Thank you very you are not accommodative towards the much for welcoming me to this seat from weaker sections of society, towards people all the parties. I need your co-operation in discriminated against. running the House smoothly. I am very much sure and very much confident that SHRI N. E. BALARAM (Kerala) : Why you will definitely co-operate with don't you come to the Railway Budget ? me. SHRI H. HANUMANTHAPPA: I am coming to the Railways. It does not apply to Thank you. Balaram; it applies to Biplab. That is the SHRI H. HANUMANTHAPPA: Madam Vice-Chairman, while I start my speech on the Railway Budget, I am unable to control my feelings to say something. 345 The Appropriation [4 MAY 1994] No. 2 Bill & No. 3 346 (Railways) Bill 1994. nature of you people, unfortunately. first year of the Eighth Plan by converting 1,600 kilometres of tracks. In the second year, even though they fall short of certain The British-rued State called kilometres, yet they have converted 1,300 Bombay, Madras, Calcutta or whatever, kilometres of tracks, So, out of 600 devlopmend the infrastructure and kilometres of track conversions planned for straightway introduced the broad-gauge. the Eighth Plan, 2,900 kilometres have Their hinter-land was developed and their already been converted. industry was developed When their infrastructure was developed, their economy Madam, I now come to the effect of also developed. That is where I compare this on our economy. Madam, you come myself and find myself in a different position being a Member from a Princely from Bombay and Nagpur. You know how many trucks are moving on the highways. I State. The Railway Minister has rightly do not know how many people are killed thought of linking the broad-gauge and the everyday by these trucks. The fuel that is other gauges and making them into a being used by these trucks costs very unigauge so that it will allow the traffic to heavily in terns of foreign exchange. That move freely and easily throughout the will be saved and this will improve our country. That is where I said India is economy also. described as one from A set Himachala. it is now one. One can start from Kanyakumari and reach Himachal I congratulate the Minister because he Pradesh or even Srinagar. He has planned has changed the British norms into Indian to take the train up to Srinagar. He has norms for converting the gauges. Britishers planned to take it up to Uddham-pur. I while converting the gauges had fixed congratulate him on these counts. Even the certain norms. They had set certain Jammu and Kashmir people were feeling requirements according to their tastes. They neglected and discrim'natsd against. They did so because they were living on feel even today that there are certain somebody's income. The Minister has reasons for discrimination. The Railway has changed the British norms into Indian also rightly noticed that there is a norms in keeping with the minimum needs discrimination on this count also and programme. This conversion has become they are making efforts to take the need-based. He has been able to take up trains up to Jammu and Kashmir. They conversion of metre gauge lines into have a plan to take the trains even into the broad gauge lines at 'a lesser cost. The North-Eastern region also where the North- Railways are like a big Maharaja. When I Eastern seven sisters may also feel that say Maharaja, I mean it in the sense that they are part and parce of this country. they have a lot of property and unable, to Madam, the Railways have now taken a pay the wealth tax. There are" certain revolu-tiona-y step. So far the Railways cases of Maharajas who have had not covered 100 kilometres in a year or properties worth crores of rupees which 509 kilometres in an entire Plan. That was are unearning properties. They are not the pace of conversion of metre-gauge to yielding anything bat they are subjected broad-gaucre. But in the Eighth Plan as a to wealth tax. That is where I want first step, 6,000 kilometres of railway Mr. Jaffer Sharief Sahib to look into. He tracks have been agreed to be ein-v?rted is sitting on a huge property; and I and linked up through a unigauge request him to look into every aspect of conversion. The Railways have exceeded his property where it can give some their 'arget n the returns to the Railways. 347 The Appropriation [RAJYA SABHA] No. 2.Bill & No. 3 348 (Railways) "" Bill 1994. Madam, you might have experienced while it. Even though there were six Ministers of travelling from Delhi to Bombay, some Railways from Karnataka in the past, still passengers on the way fill up the seats and our age-old demand, 100 years old demand you have to stand until the ticket collector has not yet been fulfilled. comes and evicts them. The local passengers occupy the seats before we reach the station.

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