No privatisation of railways, says Mukul Roy

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Ruling out any attempt at privatisation, Railway Minister Mukul Roy on Thursday said wherever it has been done the 'result is not good'.

"I can assure you there is no move to privatise Indian Railways. Wherever railways have been privatised, we have seen the result is not good," Roy said at the All-India Railwaymen's Federation function here.

Proposals are being mooted in the Railway Ministry to outsource some of its core functioning to private companies in the wake of dwindling financial condition of railways.

The Railway Minister, who repeatedly mentioned in his speech the Vision 2020 formulated by his predecessor and his party Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, said the document is the 'cornerstone of Indian Railways'.

He said railways is lifeline of the country and all attempts are being made to keep it in good condition.

He assured railway employees that the problems in implementation of the scheme for guaranteed employment of wards of railwaymen seeking voluntary retirement will be looked into.

"I will review it and try to simplfy it," Roy said. As per the scheme, if railwayman working in safety category seeks voluntary retirement then his son will be eligible for jobs in Group D category.

However, as per the provision of the scheme, son of the employee must have Class VIII qualification and after getting the job, he must pass Class X examination within five years.

The AIRF has objected to the provision of educational qualification in the scheme.