In line with PM’s ‘Digital India’ programme, Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu in a programme held today i.e. 15.03.2016 at Rail Bhawan, New Delhi inaugurated Four services / initiatives namely (1) Extension of e-Catering services from existing 45 large Railway stations to all 408 A-1 and ‘A’ class Railway Stations (II) Launch of E-ticket booking facility for accredited Journalists on concessional Passes (III) Traffic Rationalization – Policy permitting 2-point loading in BCN wagons and increasing scope of mini-rake facility from 400 km to 600 km in both BCN and BCNHL wagons and (IV) Commencement of Pilot Study on introduction of Accrual Accounting and Upgraded costing system at Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala (A production unit of M/o Railways). These come as implementation of Railway Budget Announcement. Shri Manoj Sinha, Minister of State for Railway was specially present to grace the occasion. On behalf of the Indian Railways, Chairman, Railway Board, Shri A.K. Mittal, Member Traffic, Railway Board, Shri Mohd. Jamshed, and other Board Members were present on the occasion.
Speaking on this occasion, Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu said that the way in which Indian Railways is launching various passenger services, 90 per cent of Members of Parliament have thanked Railways for bringing new culture in the Railways. He said that every passenger service is backed by well-planning and lots of efforts. Under the extending scheme of E-Catering, travelling passengers would be able to order food of their choice from leading private caterers at designated 408 major railway stations. He said that this scheme will include food prepared by women at home which will also lead to women empowerment. Speaking on E-Ticketing Service to accredited journalist, the Minister said that this was a long-standing demand of the journalists to allow the process of online booking ticket through concessional passes which has now been fulfilled. He said that duty of a journalist demand lot of travelling and thus their demand was acceded to by the Ministry.
Further, mentioning the salient features of the another initiatives of Commencement of Pilot Study on introduction of Accrual Accounting & Upgraded costing system at Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala, Shri Suresh Prabhu said that Indian Railways holds a huge assets which requires proper monitoring. He said that Railways want to orient and integrate cost and management system. He said that incurring expenditure is nothing. But more important is to get desired outcome for incurred expenditure. He said that 7 zones have already implemented this kind of scheme thereby making expenditure accountable to outcome which is the sole objective to introduce this scheme. Regarding freight rationalization, Shri Suresh Prabhu said that it is an ongoing process and we will continue to do so as freight is main revenue resource for Railways. We will be very market friendly, he added.Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State for Railways said that Indian Railways is now working on a different leak and bringing new culture in the Indian trains through E-Governance and Digital India Initiatives. He said that these services will ease and benefit the railway passengers.