Indian Railways has been caring for customer needs for more than 169 years. Since it started, the number of people using it has grown daily. It has become a must for the millions of people who move daily from one part of the country to another.
Even though the Railways are an important part of Indian transportation, there are some problems with who owns them. Some people strongly believe in the “Privatization of Railways” because they see the terrible state and not-so-good changes. Not only that, but the Indian trains also need money very badly.
The whole business needs a lot of money to run. People who support privatization often point to problems in the government sector, such as red tape, cheating, and leaks. But even if outsourcing is the main point, the idea is not fully accepted. Opponents are there to find problems with what you’re doing.
So, we will show you the good and the bad things about privatization. Rest, it’s up to you to decide if the Railways should be run by the government alone, by private companies, or if there’s a third way to make everyone happy. So, let’s learn more about the privatization of Indian Railways as soon as possible!
Pros of Privatizing Indian Railways:
Better Service
When services are privatized, they will surely get better. Railways often take hours to get things done when the government is in charge. Their lack of punctuality is really bad. Aside from this, you must have all seen that these trains aren’t very clean. The hygiene situation is getting worse! When it comes to repairs, things are just as bad. Repairs are often done late and only make a brief difference or don’t make any difference at all.
Effective revenue collection
Just so you know, every day, millions of people ride the Indian Railways without a ticket. 1.78 crore people went without a ticket in the Financial Year 2022. The rules and laws that people say they follow. People don’t worry about getting in trouble because these trains aren’t “actually strict.” You don’t have to show your ticket if you are a regular rider.
Most of the time, such a group doesn’t take care of tickets. This is why people move without fear and don’t pay any fees. If privatization happens, no person can ride without a ticket. They are so focused on making money that they wouldn’t let anyone on the train without a ticket.
Introducing modern technology
Most of the time, it takes the government years to switch to new tools. It doesn’t prefer the most recent one unless it’s immediately needed. Even if it wants to, it can’t because of all the red tape in the system. If private companies got into the business, it wouldn’t take them long to change to the latest technology. They would also be more realistic about accepting new technologies and spend less time on paperwork.
A drop in mistakes
Accidents on trains have become commonplace. We hear about a new train crash and the sad deaths that follow sooner or later. Proponents of privatization say that these accidents happen because the government doesn’t take care of and update old systems as often as it should.
If trains are privatized, there is a real chance that accidents will happen less often. We’ve discussed what made us rethink the government’s control over Indian Railways. But now is not the period to place all your trust in the business sector.
The Cons of Privatizing Indian Railways:
High charges
Privatization and getting money go together. Private players can’t sell tickets for cheap prices. The main cause for this is the level of the services they offer. No matter what reason they give, if Indian trains go for privatization, prices will go up. This could lead to fewer customers and hurt the trains’ goal of helping people.
Less coverage
The government’s main goal is still to cover as much as possible. But the private sector is not like that, which is a shame. Due to special interests, if they went into the industry, they would frequently avoid the old and less popular ways. Most places will be left out, so connections will be bad nationwide. This is an important reason why selling should not be done.
A tug-of-war between government and business players
The Ministry of Railways is in charge of everything that has to do with Indian Railways, from running the trains to making policy. Since all these jobs have been given to this church, there is no room for disagreement. But if privatization happens, people with different interests will fight. That would either make the government’s role in the process less important or cause them to constantly fight each other.
Conclusion
Considering both the pros and cons, total separation is not the answer. Also, no train authority likes the idea of privatizing the whole thing. Ashwini Vaishnaw, the railways and information technology minister, said he would never allow private companies to run the railways separately.
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