Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav on Monday wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the upcoming Railway Budget, saying that the railways have not delivered ‘Achhe din’.
“As Suresh Prabhu rises to present third Railway budget, he would be acutely aware of the harsh ground reality. Railways have not delivered ‘Achhe din’,” Lalu’s letter reads.
“Quite contrary to the media hype, there is a growing sense of despair and gloom all- around. It is still not too late. Railways have huge untapped potential. It’s like a ‘Jersey cow’. Since your government has neither milked nor took care of it (Railways), it has fallen sick,” it added.
Lalu stated that if the government reverses its anti-poor policies, the railways can be restored back to ‘sound health’.
“Railways can come out of the financial morass by following the same scale driven customer and employee-friendly inclusive reforms strategy,” Lalu said in his letter.
Giving suggestions to restore the railway sector, the RJD chief said that the leadership of the railways has to play a catalytic role in galvanizing its internal strengths by balancing commercial objectives with its social obligations.
“Like in the past, railwaymen will prove doomsayers wrong by coming out of this existential crisis with flying colours,” he said.
Lalu cited earlier examples of crisis which the railways faced, adding that on each occasion it has emerged stronger.
He further stated that the present crisis of the railways is very much serious and the railway department needs to tread with extreme caution as any major policy misstep can prove to be costly and the situation can spiral out of control in no time.
The Railway Budget will be presented on February 25 while the Union Budget will be presented on February 29. (ANI)