______∗SYNOPSIS OF DEBATE ______(Proceedings other than Questions and Answers) ______Tuesday, July 22, 2014/ Ashadha 31, 1936 (Saka) ______

MATTERS RAISED WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE CHAIR 1. Alleged Violation of SGPC Act SARDAR SUKHDEV SINGH DHINDSA: Government of Haryana has enacted an Act which is unconstitutional. There is a central Act of 1925, enacted for Shiromani Gurudwara Prabhandhak Committee. Only Parliament can amend this Act. But no amendment to this act can be done without consulting the SGPC as it is religious matter of Sikhs. 2. Delay in Delivery of Passports in the Country SHRI P. RAJEEVE: Thousands of Indian citizens are waiting after submitting application for getting Passport for several months due to non-availability of blank Passport booklets. The Passport Officer is not ready to accept applications for Passport through Tatkal route. So, the people are forced to submit applications through normal route. It was reported in the media that The Indian Security Press in Nasik is working with just about half of its usual capacity. That is the main reason for non-availability of Passport booklets. Thousands of people who applied for Passport through ______∗This Synopsis is not an authoritative record of the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha.

128 normal procedure had to put on hold their plans to travel overseas. This is a very serious issue. So, I urge the Government to intervene in this issue and ensure the availability of blank Passport booklets and issuance of Passports on time. (Shri Sitaram Yechury, Shri K. N. Balagopal, Shri Tapan Kumar Sen, Shri D.P. Tripathi and Shri D. Bandyopadhyay associated.) 3. Failure in Completion of a Bypass Bridge on National Highway at Sopore, Kashmir PROF. SAIF-UD-DIN SOZ: The Border Roads Organisation has become entirely defunct in its operations in the field that in ten years they are not able to complete a bridge on the National Highway at Sopore. The entire north Kashmir is in difficulty. This partly happens because the retired Army officers are put in charge as Chief Engineers. The Chief Minister of the State also went public on this issue but nothing seems to move. I request to Government that the retired Major General should be removed and an investigation should be conducted as why the tax-payers' money has been wasted in Jammu & Kashmir on the construction of this bridge, which could not be completed in ten years. 4. Overcharging of Patients by the Hospitals for Medical Devices like Stents, Implants and Pace Makers SHRI SHANTARAM NAIK: The cost of medical devices like stents and pacemakers is enough to give anyone a heart attack. It is said that margins on devices is very high. Experts feel that making it mandatory to declare the maximum retail price on each device could help cap the price and make companies compete, to offer lower prices. However, doctors point out that having an MRP has not prevented profiteering in medicines since there is no limit on what the MRP can be. Giving permission to hospital to trade in these devices with no control on pricing, adds to the financial agonies of patients. India is also known for medical tourism. Charges made for Indian patients should be made reasonable and affordable.

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THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. HARSH VARDHAN), responding to the matter, said: : The new Government is in the process of formulating a new Health Policy. I can assure the Members that we are going to address all these very serious concerns of the Members. (Shrimati Viplove Thakur, Shrimati Rajani Patil, Dr. Vijaylaxmi Sadho, Shri Shadi Lal Batra and Shri Praveen Rashtrapal associated.) 5. Omission of Sprinter Dutee Chand from Commonwealth Games Squad SHRI BHUPINDER SINGH: The Commonwealth Games are going to be held at Glasgow and a girl from a poor family of , Dutee Chand, for no fault of her, has been denied the permission to participate in the Commonwealth Games because of the genetic study which was taken on her. This poor girl brought laurels not only for Odisha but also for the whole country in the Asian Games. She has not been taken into confidence for this genetic study. There are norms as to how such cases are examined. The most unfortunate thing is that she was forced to sign on an undertaking after all the tests were made. When she asked as for what reason she should give an undertaking, she was told by others that if she did not give that undertaking, then, she would be debarred from participating in the Commonwealth Games. I want to know whether there was some complaint against her? On whose complaint was that test conducted? (Shri Derek O'brien, Shri Tapan Kumar Sen, Shrimati Jaya Bachchan, Shri A.V. Swamy ,Shrimati Sarojini Hembram Shri , Shrimati Viplove Thakur , Chaudhary Munavver Saleem and Shri D. Raja associated.) 6. Hike in Power Tariff in Delhi SHRI K.N. BALAGOPAL: The huge power tariff hike has recently came into force in Delhi. The Government has accepted that there is a hike in power tariff. At present, the Central Government is responsible for power tariff hike in Delhi. It is not a good practice to

130 hike the power tariffs when the C&AG audit of the companies is going on. The Government is saying that the Regulatory Commission is doing that. On the one hand, the Government is saying that the Regulatory Commissions are not functioning properly; on the other hand, in the name of the Regulatory Commission, the BJP Government is, again, allowing the rise in the power tariff in Delhi. The Government will have to re-look into the matter. 7. Atrocities against Dalits in various States of the Country SHRI AVTAR SINGH KARIMPURI: Atrocities are being meted out on Dalits at large level in the Country. There is a case of Mirchpur in Hrayana where no arrangements for security and return of affected people have been made. There is a similar case of a village in Sangroor district of Punjab wherein an FIR was registered in that matter and 41 innocent Dalits were sent to Jail. I request to the Government that FIR registered, should be quashed and 41 innocent Dalits may be released from the jail and adequate compensation should also be provided to them. Dalits are also being boycotted in some other villages of Punjab. I request that Government should intervene in such cases and proper relief may be provided to them. (Shrimati Jaya Bachchan, Shri Ali Anwar Ansari, Shri V. Hanumantha Rao, Shri Husain Dalwai, Shri Tarun Vijay, Shri Derek O Brien and Shri Ramdas Athawale associated) 8. Disinvestment of Shares of Profit Making Public Sector Units by the Government SHRI TAPAN KUMAR SEN: I rise to draw the attention of the House towards the retrograde move of disinvestment of the shares of profit-making public sector units. The entire trade unions of the country have been opposing this. In the name of containing fiscal deficit, Government are forgoing its right to have a recurring flow of income in the public exchequer in lieu of one-time gain in selling the shares. It is like selling the family property for consumption expenditure; Government must stop it. Moreover, all these disinvestments are being made in the most strategic sectors of economy like ONGC, coal, Steel Authority, etc. Government are 131 disinvesting such an important source of its capital investment to put it in the track of privatization. I think that is not going to address the basic issue which the country is facing today. Their surplus of more than six lakh crore rupees should be harnessed in further employment and for that disinvestment must be stopped. SHRI SITARAM YECHURY: I associate myself with the matter. Public sector is the commanding heights of the Indian economy. But now, when it is being disinvested, nobody is associating with it! (Shri D. Raja, Shri Ali Anwar Ansari, Shri Arvind Kumar Singh, Dr. Bhalchandra Mungekar and some Hon'ble members associated.) 9. Police Excesses against Women and Children of a Village in Alwar, Rajasthan

SHRI ALI ANWAR ANSARI: I want to raise the inhuman incident of police barbarity against women and children of village of Mewati muslims. Alwar police has constituted a Cobra police force with a different dress and without badge and woman constable they went in the village and beated women and children. In the month of Ramzan when women were offering prayers on roofs, they were beaten by police and they used abusive language. Even children were also beaten by them. Police forcibly entered in the Huzra of mosque and abused the Imam of mosque. SHRIMATI JAYA BACHCHAN: I associate myself with the matter. The Hon'ble Minister gives an assurance to the House. THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION (SHRI GHULAM NABI AZAD): The Home Minister should give a statement on this. THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS (DR. NAJMA A. HEPTULLA), responding to the matter, said: Law and order is a subject of the State. I would apprise the Home Minister about this case and he would take an appropriate action. 132

(Shrimati Kanak Lata Singh, Chaudhary Munavver Saleem, Shri Tapan Kumar Sen, Shri D. Bandyopadhyay, Shri Gulam Rasool Balyawi, Shrimati Kahkashan Perween, Shri Ritabrata Banerjee, Shri Ram Nath Thakur, Shri Husain Dalwai, Dr. Bhalchandra Mungekar and some Hon'ble members also associated.) 10. Beating of Students of North-East Resulting in the Death of a Student in New Delhi SHRI TARUN VIJAY: I condemn the incident of killing of a 29 years Manipuri youth, who was beaten to death last night and I want that the whole house express sympathy to his family. This is not the first incident. The incidents of inhuman atrocities being committed against the youth of North-East are increasing. North-East give maximum brave military to the country. On 29th January Nido Tania was also killed with the same cruelty. The people and children of Delhi feel that it is not their home. Is it not in India? SHRI SUKHENDU SEKHAR ROY: In fact, communities with Mongoloid features are being targeted. This is not an isolated incident that a young man was beaten to death. Since January, three people from North-Eastern Region have been killed in different areas of Delhi and five people from North-Eastern Region have been assaulted brutally. I demand that the Home Minister should make a statement in this House on this issue and the recommendations of the Bezbarua Committee on North-Eastern people should also be discussed by the hon. Minister. THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS (DR. NAJMA A. HEPTULLA), responding to the matter, said: I agree with the entire House that this discrimination should not be done. I will convey the sentiments of the entire House and yours to the hon. Minister for Home Affairs to take action on this. (Shri Ananda Bhaskar Rapolu, Dr. Bhalchandra Mungekar, Shri Pankaj Bora, Shri Salim Ansari, Dr. Vijaylaxmi Sadho, Dr. Anil Kumar Sahani, Shri Mohammed Adeeb, Dr. M.S. Gill, Shri D. Raja, Shri K.C. Tyagi, Shri Arvind Kumar Singh, Shri Mohd. Ali Khan, Shrimati Kanimozhi, Shri D. Bandyopadhyaya, Shri P. Rajeeve, 133

Shrimati Jaya Bachchan, Shri K.N. Balagopal, Shrimati Jharna Das Baidya, Shri Pyarimohan Mohapatra and Shri M.P. Achuthan associated.) ______(A) The Budget (Railways) 2014-15 General Discussion (B) GOVERNMENT BILLS I. The Appropriation (Railways) No. 2 Bill, 2014-Contd. II. The Appropriation (Railways) No. 3 Bill, 2014-Contd. THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION (SHRI GHULAM NABI AZAD): Government have recently inaugurated the railway station of Katra and trial of semi high speed train was conducted. Who completed these projects? To make a lot of promises outside about so many things using rhetoric is one thing, but once you are in the chair, you find how difficult the task is. But running a federal Government of this size and population is the most difficult task.

2207 Kilometre track was laid, 2758 Kilometre track was doubled and 4556 Kilometre track was electrified by the UPA Government during the 11th Plan. In all these aspects our performance was above the fix target. I am very happy to share that Indian Railway joined the elite club of World's top five Railways during the UPA regime in 2013. Under it the target of 8 Billion Annual Freight was achieved. In our Budget we had talked about the High-Speed Corridor under which trains of over 250 Kilometre speed were proposed to be introduced. Now you have termed it as the Bullet train. Work on the said project was already started and you have just changed its nomenclature. The formalities regarding FDI in Railways, green initiative and energy conservation which you have talked about in your Budget were completed by the previous Government.

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You are still talking that we are going to give attention to the North-Eastern States but we have gone a long way. Almost some schemes, some Railway lines have already been completed and some are under completion. The facilities that you have talked about now have already been talked about by us way back in 2013. We introduced the project of first ever train in Kashmir Valley with special coaches.

This Government should try to enhance the freight capacity of the Railways which is 35-40 percent at present. The use of the Dedicated Freight Corridor will be a profitable option. You can use two engines instead of one in every train. More bogies in existing trains can also be added. It will be profitable for you as the diesel will be saved and it will also check the number of road accidents. Where from you will get the amount of 50-60 thousand crores of rupees for the Bullet Trains? The formula of Semi-high-speed trains would be a better option. The Bullet-Train is just for a particular class but Semi- high-speed trains can also be used by the common man. These tracks can be used for the freight purposes also. As far as alternate revenue generation is concerned you can use the rail coaches for the advertising purposes. Our vast rail network can earn a huge amount of revenue through this. During our Government we had identified several locations under Railway for building Government or Private Hospitals. By doing this you can use the encroached Railway land commercially. You can also earn thousand crores of rupees by the proper disposal of the scrap. SHRI SHRIMATI KUSUM RAI: Railways meet all the needs of the middle class people. The determination, the Rail minister has shown to strengthen the railways is very appreciable. Running of bullet train in the country was the dream of the people of India. Our government has tried to fulfill it. Our government has paid attention on those things about which voices have been raised. Security provision is the biggest and the special thing. There has been loot and torture on women in the trains. Today the government has announced 135 to deploy women security personnel, to recruit police personnel and to provide mobiles also. Attention has been paid to provide better facilities to the public. During the last ten years 99 Rail lines were approved but only one rail line has been completed till date. Our government has paid attention on each and every thing which people need today. So, I congratulate our government, the prime minister and the railways minister and fully support this budget. SHRI DEREK O'BRIEN: I believe that Railway family deserves simple words 'Thank you' from the Rail Mantri. Trinamool Congress disputes negative figure shown on the passenger fares. If you are really serious about doing some serious reforms, look at those passenger fare distribution costs. There is no reason to push passenger fares up before the Budget. We do not buy the argument that if you want better amenities, better safety, you have to pay more. As far as Trinamool Congress is concerned, there is absolutely no dilemma. RPF constables, modern trolleys, RO drinking water, e-ticketing system, outsourcing of cleanliness and Bullet trains had already been mentioned in earlier budgets. Railway Ministers in their past have also created brands across parties. Those were big ideas. Another very fascinating part of this subject which is freight. Freight is growing at 4.8 per cent. You need some ideas to get freight to grow at six-plus or seven per cent. You need to stop competing with road. You need to make road your partner. We recommend that try RORO which was tried in Konkan. The concept of RORO is Roll on Roll off. So, the trucks are absolutely loaded on to the trains. I urge upon the government to please take a look at that catering policy also. The magic PPP pill will not solve all of your problems. I would speak about the elephant corridor. Elephants are getting killed. One out of three level crossings in this country is unmanned. ‘Wifi' and ‘Wall' are also very important. SHRIMATI KAHKASHAN PERWEEN: This is my maiden speech in the highest House of the democratic fora. I bid my thanks to you and my leaders. I congratulate Mr. Minister of Railway for is first Railway Budget. But, I am very sorry to say that this Railway Budget is not for common man, but for capitalists. Common 136 men have not been taken care of in this Budget. You have neglected Bihar in this Budget. In earlier Budgets, a number of announcements were made i.e. the construction of a rail coach factory in Harnot in Bihar, Koshi rail bridge, Hajipur-Sugauli rail line, Digha-Sonpur rail road bridge, Rajgir-Hiswa-Tilaiya rail route, Deoghar-Sultanganj rail line, railway bridge on Ganga river in Munger etc. These all projects have yet not been completed. You have announced for the recruitment of 4000 women. We women are half of the total population, hence this number is like a drop in the ocean. Kindly increase this number. Please talk about recruitment of lady TTEs and lady TCs also. I urge upon the Minister that kindly increase the number of lady's ticket counters at railway stations. I would also like to say that there must be a coach in every train in which special arrangements for pregnant ladies are made. The government have much talked about Bullet trains, I welcome this proposal. But, in this regard, I would say that the government must have high ambitions, but please stay rooted. Trains which run from Delhi to Bhagalpur get slow down its speed after Patna. I urge upon the Minister that kindly speed up the train. Bhagalpur is a big revenue generator, hence, kindly take it in consideration and establish a zonal headquarter at Bhagalpur. Ranchi Rajdhani train runs twice in a week, kindly make it daily. DR. V. MAITREYAN: 'Mahamaham' is considered as Kumbh Mela of the South. The Next 'Mahamaham' is due in 2016. Doubling work between Thanjavur and Kumbakonam may be completed before 2016. This will enable faster movement of several passenger and express trains. Facelift should be given to other nearby stations. A Rail Yatri Niwas should be opened at Kumbakonam. Tri- weekly Rameswaram-Tirupati Express should run everyday. A daily intercity express between Chennai and Thanjavur should be introduced. I request for running of Shuttle trains from Kumbakonam to other nearby stations in sufficient numbers during the peak period of Mahamaham. PROF. RAM GOPAL YADAV: Train is the common man vehicle but there are no coaches for the common man in it. I have been demanding to increase the number of general coaches for many 137 years. Now a days rail journey is very difficult and troublesome. The condition of amenities in trains is very bad. There are accidents on unmanned crossings frequently. Make system for it. The bullet train can never be run in India. Our economic position is not so good. Try to improve the present system. I demand and suggest to run general trains. Rail line between Guna and Etawah, Agra-Etawah rail line via Bateshwar and Etawah - Mainpuri rail line have not been completed till date. Don't slow down the pace of ongoing projects for the sake of new schemes. I request to provide more facilities and more trains to the common people. SHRI K.N.BALAGOPAL: The Railway Budget has not treated all the States equally. A system, which is considered to be the lifeline of the country, should be continued in its true spirit. The PPP is there everywhere. Disinvestment in this sector will affect the system. With outsourcing of cleaning task employment opportunities will go down. In the name of PPP, we are handing over the land to the private player, it is not good. I am not against the concept of bullet trains. But whether India is capable of running the bullet trains now? There is a need to improve the speed of the existing trains. We can improve the existing facilities. Shuttling of more MEMU trains for shorter distance is very important. Automatic signaling system is also an important proposal. No new train has been announced for Kerala. There should he upgradation of the railway stations in Trivandrum, Ernakulum and Calicut. Palakkad coach factory project is pending. We also request for doubling of railway lines, electrification and conversion of metre gauge to broad gauge on Kollam-Chenkotta- Tirunelveli route. SHRI BHUPINDER SINGH: Some states are not connected with railway network. Our Chief Minister had placed his demands before the Rail Minister. Government should pay attention towards sale of scraps, leakage and overloading. Railway assets should be used for welfare of railways and the public. Children of three district of Odisha have not seen train till date. Today the country which does not have communication, has nothing. If you are able to grant ten thousand crores of rupees to all 138 these backwards states then all my demand would be fulfilled within coming five years. Today, I would request to start a train from Puri to Amritsar. Nizamuddin-Vishakhapatnam-Nizamuddin train should be made available for all seven days and be extended upto Amritsar. I would request the Minister to accord priority to farmers. SHRI Y.S.CHOWDARY: We all know the length and breath of our great country and our population but we never attempted to prepare the master plan or blue print for the entire country. Our Hon'ble Ministers never bothered about addressing the problems of the entire country. The Budget focuses on safety, security and services. We welcome this proposal of the Government for mobilizing funds through Public-Private Partnership, or, FDI, or, through bonds. By utilizing the proper technology the Government can really improve the overall efficiency as well as provide good services to the passengers. Cost-sharing arrangement between States is really very good idea. We welcome the proposal for bullet trains on important corridors. Speed of the trains has to be increased to improve the efficiency. Multi-pronged approach for improving safety and security and cleanness has been adopted. Modern technologies will definitely help the passengers. We also welcome the proposal of the Government to set up Railway University. The Railway Ministry should have given special emphasis to help the States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. We also request the Railway Minster to think about supporting Andhra Pradesh to start new lines in the State. Port connectivity is required for solving Power Projects Problems. There is an urgent need for prioritizing and setting timelines for completion of ongoing projects. SHRI M.P.ACHUTHAN: This Railway Budget is the beginning of discarding of the social responsibility by the Railways. You have laid emphasis on privatization. You have partially privatized catering and cleaning services. It will curtail the employment opportunities in the Railways and it will decrease the efficiency of the Railway. Having bullet trains, despite many villages and towns in India are still not connected with trains is not at all a profitable 139 business. This attitude will ruin Railways and our economy. In this Railway Budget state of Kerala is being completely neglected, completely discriminated. We were promised so many projects but not one was implemented. For doubling, land is a problem in Kerala but not for coach factory. Coaches are very dirty in Kerala. It is a right of the people of Kerala to have justice. SHRI JAIRAM RAMESH: Railways are facing a very severe financial crisis but this is no ground to run down the real achievements of the Railways. Railways have a tremendous social obligation to fulfil. Over a period of time the social obligations must be met from the General Budget. The social obligation should not interfere with the commercial functioning of the Railways. Bullet train is not for India. It is totally unrealistic to plan for bullet trains. I would urge the Railway Minster not to proceed with bullet train speed on the bullet train idea. If we want a sanitation revolution in India, the Indian Railways have to play a very important role. Bio-toilet trains are far more necessary than bullet trains. I have long believed that the root to financial disaster in the Railways is to have a separate Railway Budget. I request the hon. Railway Minster and the Prime Minister to give this a very serious thought it to fulfil the aspirations of more than a billion people. SHRI DILIPBHAI PANDYA: We believe in our Prime Minister. We show dreams and work day and night to fulfil those dreams. Kakodkar Commission report had not been implemented even in 2014. Special package trains on identified pilgrim circuits of all religions are to run. There will be paperless offices in Indian Railways in five years. SHRI BASHISTHA NARAIN SINGH: Parliamentary conventions have not been observed while presenting this budget. What was the need for hiking Railway fares before the presentation of budget? When it comes to Railways Budget, there has to be a vision. What is Government's vision for strengthening Railways infrastructure? There has to be a blueprint for turning dreams into reality. Railways are a national 140 heritage. Interests of Jharkhand, Odisha and Arunachal Pradesh have to be taken care of. Attention has not been paid to security, cleanliness and infrastructure. Various possible ways for augmentation of Railways income have not been looked into. There is monopoly of a few contractors in catering business of Railways. Costly water of private companies is sold by Railways. Lack of barricading, lack of fencing and lack of pedestrian bridges are the biggest causes of rail accidents. Adequate provisions should be there to complete projects in various parts of the country. SHRI DARSHAN SINGH YADAV: I thank the Minister for the Bullet Train but the poor should also be taken care of. The number of general coaches should be increased. Attention has to be paid to cleanliness of toilets. Quality of food and water needs attention. SHRI RITABRATA BANERJEE making his maiden speech, said: Railways is a public transport and it is run by budgetary support. In this budget, Railways has been treated as a commercial entity. The emphasis is on expansion and modernisation through public private partnership. There has been greater burden on common man as a result of fare hike. Interests of Railway employees, who toil day and night, have been forgotten. No attempt has been made to fill up large number of posts lying vacant in Railways, thereby jeopardising maintenance and safety. The credibility of the Railways, as far as safety is concerned, has really become questionable. A time-bound action plan for ensuring the safety needs must be made. The Railway Budget is basically a blueprint for privatization at the cost of the Indian people who have to suffer because of profit maximization motive of the private sector and the FDI. The efficiency of the railways is dependent on the freight traffic. Over the years, Indian Railways has been

141 lagging behind in competition with the road traffic. There are resource mobilization segments in the Indian Railways. These are now being eyed by the PPP and the FDI because of ensured commercial returns. Once these sectors go into the hands of private players, things will become more difficult for the government. Plan expenditure for Railways is almost negligible. Given the condition of our tracks and cost involved in running bullet train, the idea hardly seems viable. Where would the resources for this come from? In spite of resources, desired development has not taken place in the North-East and because of this the problem of insurgency is there. There are several places in the region which are not connected by rail. Funds allocated for the purpose are almost negligible. The funds allocated for metro railway in West Bengal are almost negligible. What is the status of different factories in West Bengal, mentioned in successive Rail Budgets? More stringent measures for restoration of financial discipline are needed. SHRIMATI GUNDU SUDHARANI: The move to upgrade the reservation system deserves applause. I wholeheartedly welcome the appointment of women RPF constables for protection of women. I request they be provided with mobile to contact concerned officials. In the Telangana region there is a long-pending demand for making Kazipet a separate Division. It is one of the busiest stations in the South Central Railway. Various proposals relating to Kazipet are pending before the Ministry for consideration and implantation. Telangana could be a suitable place for establishment of a Railway University. Some new trains may be announced. The land at Bodagutta could be taken over for setting up pit lanes. Strengthen the siding line facility for transportation of agriculture goods. Sufficient rakes be provided for transportation of agriculture products. The land for Wagon factory at Kazipet has not been given. The matter may be pursued with state government. It is very important project with regard to employment and use of available infrastructure. Necessary funds for new lines may be allocated. It is requested that Warangal railway station may be upgraded.

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SHRI D. RAJA: The Railway Budget talks a lot about private investment. The government is not clear about how FDI is going to help Indian Railways. Even today we have the practice of manual scavenging. The Railway is the biggest employer of manual scavengers. This practice must stop. The Railways should go for the bio-toilets in coaches. Every train should have separate coaches for disabled persons. The security forces should ensure that the coaches meant for disabled persons are not occupied by others. We have Integral Coach Factory in Chennai. It should get more attention from the ministry. The passenger fares and freight charges are not linked to the hike in prices of fuel. It is not a good practice to hike the passenger fares and freight charges as a pre-budget exercise. There are regions which need rail connection and doubling of tracks. There are regions in Kerala where gauge conversion is required. The budget does not address the demands of all the regions. It should be an all-India Budget. SHRI MOHAMMED ADEEB: There are some points of concern for me in this budget, which I want to bring to the notice of the Hon'ble Minister. An amount of Rs. 11,500 crores was surplus with the Railways in 2006 and 2008, which has reduced to Rs. 600 crores in the year 2014. Despite that, big promises were made. Out of the 676 pending projects, 350 are nearing completion. But about 300 projects are still incomplete. To complete these projects, Rs. 50,000 crores per year will be required for 10 years. How this money will be mobilised? It is being said that we will bring money and bullet trains will be run. I would have been happy if it was said in this budget that the trains will be made to run on time and the trains which are running will be protected. It should have been said that in every fast train at least four coaches will be for the poor. It was also said that Wi-Fi facility will be provided. For whom? Something should have been done for the 80 percent people who travel out of compulsion. Instead of making tall claims, talking about bullet trains, fast trains, if something is done for the poor, then we will say that it is a good budget.

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DR. E.M. SUDARSANA NATCHIAPPAN: Originally, the Indian Railways was a symbol of exploitation. It was used to carry natural resources for the British factories. But Mahatma Gandhi made it a symbol of freedom, a symbol of national integration. He did so by travelling in train. The Indian Railways give the impression that India is united. Indian Railways was another way of having deeper friendly ties with the Non-Aligned Countries. India helped them in laying railway lines and manufacturing bogies and wagons. We used to give them training to lay new railway lines. The same market is available now. We have the capacity to manufacture modern bogies, modern locomotives. We can do more research on that subject and earn more money from the market. We helped Tamil people in Sri Lanka in re- laying the railway lines from Talaimannar to Jaffna area and Colombo to other places. Similarly, we helped Nepal and other neighbouring countries. A huge market is available for Indian products. We can manufacture. We can export it. We can earn the money. Through that, we can develop indigenous things and meet our demands. We have got the technology. IRCON, which has its programmes throughout India, is making a lot of profits. Why is it not shown? I am not against FDI or PPP mode. But, it should not take away the national role. We have been totally neglected. In 2013-14, 175 projects were approved. Tamil Nadu was benefited for the past ten years during the UPA Government having all the metre-gauge converted into the broad- gauge. In respect of 44, work is already in progress. Eight projects were already completed. There are 42 projects for doubling, gauge conversion and new lines. Let us see how the money is being allotted. After a long fight between the Planning Commission and us, we got the approval for doubling of the Villupuram-Madurai line. During the UPA period, Rs.390 crores was allotted. But here you have allotted only Rs.1 crore. It is not even one percent of the remaining amount. This is how Tamil Nadu is being neglected. I request the Minister to increase the amount and see that projects are completed. SHRI CHUNIBHAI KANJIBHAI GOHEL, making his maiden speech, said: If we have to run railways, we will need money for that. When there will be no money, the fares will not be increased, how the railways will function? When we increase ten percent or 144 twenty percent fare of our local transport, no objection is raised. If the train fare has been increased by 16.2 percent, why it is being opposed? If we want more facilities, we will have to make Railways earn profit. If the Railways are stopped only for a single day, our entire economy will come to a halt. A lot has been said here about the bullet train. Why should not we run bullet trains in our countries? We should demonstrate our power to the entire world. We don't have to take the country forward? This country will move forward and become the topmost country of the world. In the existing circumstances, it will take some time to bring improvement. Somnath Temple in our area is the biggest temple of India and people from all over India come here for darshan. I request that a train should be started from Somnath and 4-5 coaches should be attached to it in Bhavnagar and 4-5 coaches should be attached from Dwarka also. Large area of land belonging to Railways has been encroached. Some of the people, who have occupied this land, are very poor. An alternative arrangement should be made for them and they should be provided land at some other place. CCTV cameras should be installed in the coaches reserved for women. Two armed female constables should be there in these coaches.

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SHUMSHER K. SHERIFF, Secretary-General. [email protected] ______****Supplement covering rest of the proceedings is being issued separately.

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