New Delhi: Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav will inaugurate a two-day conference of the Zonal Managers here on Friday to review the performance of the Railways and also finalise strategies for the completion of his promises made in the Rail Budget 2006-07.
Besides reviewing zone-wise performance of the Railways, Prasad would also discuss steps and strategies to be adopted for the time-bound completion of projects launched in the Budget 2006-07, Railway Ministry sources said.
The two-day conference would be attended by 17-Zonal Managers across the country, members of the Railway Board, senior officials of the Ministry and Divisional Headquarters.
In addition to the ongoing projects and those announced in the budget, the Railway Board is likely to ask the Zonal Managers to start work on "feeder routes" of the Dedicated Freight Corridors to keep them ready for connecting the main line stations for carrying goods for loading.
"The Zonal Managers are likely to be directed to start work on feeder routes, side-by-side, connecting the main lines of the Dedicated Freight Corridors to expedite the whole project", the sources said.
The sources were of the view that construction on feeder routes (up-gradation of existing rail facilities) could be expedited, as they do not need any sanction from any quarters.
The ambitious Rs 60,000 crore Dedicated Freight Corridors connects-Delhi-Mumbai, Delhi-Kolkata, Delhi-Chennai and Chennai-Kolkata and their diagonals.
The Conference is also expected to deliberate on the steps to be taken to improve speed of trains in general and 200 Mail/Express trains upgraded as Superfast linking different destinations all over the country.
It would also give top priority to safety and security of the passengers and Railway operations, more particularly in the light of naxalite threats to its smooth operations in the infected areas, they said.
"The meeting would decide recruitment of over 10,000 RPF personnel as also other security related staff from "d" group to ensure safety and security of railways and its passengers", the Ministry sources said The meet would also discuss steps, to be taken and already taken, with regard to the introduction of Automatic Track-checking, Anti-Collision Devices, ATMS, Ticket Vending Machines, Cyber Cafe, new designed Coaches, Wagons, Axle load and Engines.
On the promises made by the Railway Minister to celebrate the year 2006-07 as "Passenger friendly" year by providing more amenities, the railways would also be directing its managers to take steps in this regard, besides maintaining cleanliness and better services at stations and inside the trains.
It would also take a final decision to grant licenses to 14- major players who have been selected to operate Container Services under public-Private partnership. Senior Railway Officials had a meeting recently with these operators to finalise strategies as also modus operandi to run it, they said.
The meeting is also expected to seek information from the General Managers about the directive to the Divisional Managers with regard to up-gradation of over 350 Railway stations, which are to be provided all such facilities.
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