Lalu Prasad Yadav, 60, Minister of Railways

Lalu Prasad Yadav, 60, Minister of Railways

Result: 4/10

Lalu rode the gravy train with the six Railway Budgets he presented, doling out fare cuts. His biggest claim—generating a Rs 90,000 crore cash surplus—was laden with accounting jugglery, though he is quick to refute that. Under Lalu, the Railways transformed itself into a competitive transporter in the freight business but did not hike passenger fares.

HIS BRIEF

UPA's CMP talked of increase in public investment for modernisation, track renewal, safety and reforms.

THE DELIVERIES

• Revolutionised the way people booked tickets with irctc.co.in, the e-ticket reservation website.

• A scheme to upgrade passengers to a higher class was a major hit.

• Introduced Garib Rath. By increasing the carrying capacity, Railways offered 45-50 per cent cheaper fares on air-conditioned travel.

REFORMS DERAILED

• Almost two years since the ministry announced plans to study the feasibility of running bullet trains, it is still to award the contract for a "pre-feasibility" study for the Delhi-Chandigarh-Amritsar High Speed Rail Corridor.

• Plan to set up electric and diesel locomotive manufacturing units in Madhepura and Chhapra got stuck.

• Engineering Directorate and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corp tussled over the plan to set up 100 budget hotels near railway stations.

• The ministry's Rs 50,000 crore project—two Dedicated Freight Corridors on the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Kolkata routes—is awaiting funding from Japan and the World Bank.

• Plan to set up 26 world class railway stations across the country is stuck for want of identifying the private player for the project.

• Rail coach factory in Rae Bareli ran into trouble with the Mayawati government over land-ownership rights.

• 659 railways accidents, including 361 derailments, occurred between 2004 and 2007, killing 241, injuring 796. No heads rolled at senior levels.

... contd.

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