Centre to Form Empowered Group to Privatize 50 Railway Stations

Guwahati, October 12, 2019:

In a latest development in the Railways sector, NITI Aayog CEO, Amitabh Kant in a letter to the Chairman of Indian Railway Board, Vinod Kumar Yadav, has suggested the formation of an “Empowered Group of Secretaries” to accelerate the process of privatization of Indian Railways.

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The aim of this empowered group will be to monitor the functioning of 150 passenger trains through private operators using the network of Indian Railways. The new ‘Empowered Group of Secretaries’ will also monitor the development of 50 railway stations in India.

The new group of secretaries will have the CEO of NITI Aayog as its Chairman, the Railway Board chairman as the secretary, and department of economic affairs, the secretary, housing and urban affairs ministry, and the financial commissioner of railways as its members.

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The Indian Government's premier think tank NITI Aayog CEO believes that the Empowered Group of Secretaries will help speed up the mega railway project worth Rs. 1 lakh in a ‘time bound manner’.

The central government has set the goal of redeveloping around 400 railway stations across India in its mega railway project.

The vision is to set up shopping and office complexes, hotels, multiplexes and parking lots, apart from other commercial activities.

The government also aims to improve the facilities for the passengers travelling through these railways stations.

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