Ashwini Vaishnaw allays fears of Opposition about privatisation of Railways

There is no plan to privatize Indian Railways as it belongs to the Government of India, said Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in Lok Sabha after some members expressed concern over it on Wednesday.

He said that Union Minister Piyush Goyal has already made it clear that the railways will not be privatized.

"Railway stations, railway tracks, signalling system, train coaches, everything belongs to the Government of India. There is no plan to privatize railways. Even Piyush Goyal has already made it clear that the railways will not be privatized," Vaishnaw said.

Significantly, the discussion on the Demands for Grants of the Ministry of Railways for 2022-23 under the union budget was started by Congress MP K Suresh on Tuesday.

After this, many MPs of opposition parties including Trinamool Congress, YSR Congress and DMK raised the issue of privatization of railways to put the government in the dock.

Vaishnaw hit back at Congress and TMC MPs for raising questions over the privatization of Indian Railways and responded to their allegations.

"The problem does not belong to him (Rahul Gandhi) but with his party leaders because their leaders do not know anything," he added.

There was a heated debate in the Lok Sabha between the leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and the Railway Minister, regarding the operating ratio of the Indian Railways.

After discussions, the demand for grants of the railway ministry under budget 2022-23 was passed by voice vote.

( With inputs from ANI )

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