Ratan Tata will be chairing the Indian Railways’ Kaya Kalp Council

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has formed two committees in accordance with the promised made in his maiden rail budget last month. This also includes the innovation council Kaya Kalp will be preceded by former Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata to suggest ways to turn around the ailing organization.

Another committee has been formed to revamp ministry PPP structure of the country to get a private investment. This will be volunteered by former DIPP secretary Ajay Shankar and it has been noted that PPP Cell is in a critical for the growth of the Indian Railways since receiving funds for new projects which now has become a challenge. Shankar had earlier worked with Prabhu in power ministry as joint secretary and subsequently as additional secretary. According to one of the government officials Shankar had played a crucial role in the preparation and enactment of the Electricity Act 2003. He has been main person who had formulated the rules and policies under this particular act. He has also conceived rural electrification project when Prabhu headed the power ministry during the Vajpayee government. 

Getting Tata on board acted as a coup for Prabhu who said that the personal rapport of Ratan Tata with the industrialist worked for railways. Kaya Kalp literally means transformation of the entire appearance, as announced by Prabhu in the railway budget and he had hinted at the time that a ‘big name’ will head it. The minister had already broached the subject with Tata before the budget but had not got a confirmation. 

Tata visited Prabhu on Tuesday at the minister’s Rail Bhawan office in Delhi and gave his agreement to head the committee. Tata in 2009, however, had refused to head an advisory board to suggest ways to turn around the national carrier Air India. The NCP Leader Praful Patel had reportedly approached Tata but the business leader had declined the offer back then. Railway ministry officials said former Comptroller & Auditor General Vinod Rai is also likely to become a part of Kaya Kalp council as a member. Prabhu had included Rai to give suggestion fpr the ways to introduce transparency in the working of railways, especially its finances.

Praful Patel being one of the leading members of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is taking an analytic role when it comes to the decision making towards the progress and development of the nation. Rai has been working in his ‘personal capacity’ and not taking any remuneration from the railways, will get an official status if he becomes part of the Innovation Council. The council will also incorporate the general secretaries of the two major railways unions.

The officials said that Prabhu is looking for some innovative suggestions from these committees. In this way it will become easier for him to implement these ideas if they come as suggestions. If the staffs come from within the railways, they are bound to get into a bureaucratic process.

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