The Ministry of Labor and Transport Management (MoLTM) on Sunday wrote to the Home Ministry on Sunday to immediately deploy at least 10 APF personnel to stop huge revenue leakage from customs, increase fare collections and ensure security of passengers in the country´s sole railway line.
Last week, a high-level team comprising Minister for Labor and Transport Management Mohammad Aftab Alam, secretary Baburam Acharya, members of parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) made a field visit to assess the performance of the seven-decade-old railway line and seek possible way out to bail it out.
“We have requested the Home Ministry to make immediate arrangement of at least 10 APF personnel,” Babu Ram Acharya, secretary at the MoLTM, told myrepublica.com.
He said the number of passengers with tickets can be increased by at least three times and revenue can be raised significantly if they succeeded in enforcing compulsory ticket system by deploying APF personnel. At present, the railway collects about Rs 65,000 to Rs 80,000 daily from ticket sale.
The team also concluded that the property of the railway was mismanaged and underutilized. It also found that the condition of engines and coaches was at sorry state.
Acharya also said the MoLTM has also requested the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works (MoPPW) to repair a bridge over Bighi River, which was destroyed by floods some eight years back limiting the railway´s service to 29 km from 51 km.
After conducting the field visit, the MoLTM has already formulated a ten-year strategic plan to revive the oldest railway that has been running under the Nepal Railway Company Ltd. The strategy includes transforming the railway into public service oriented and commercial transport service and developing it as a modern, safe and reliable rail service in the country. The strategy was formulated with the objective of strengthening service capacity and improving the service so as to increase revenue, protect existing assets and increase institutional capacity of the railway.
The government aims to replace five percent of the total slippers in 29-km stretch within four months, and to continue the replacement of remaining slippers by five percent every year. According to officials, more than 70 percent of the slippers have to be immediately replaced. The government also aims to make three engines operational and bring six non-functional coaches into operation within three months. Of the four engines, two are operational at present.
The government is utilizing the railway company´s fund of Rs 13.8 million to replace and repair slippers, coaches and other maintenance works in a bid to improve the service of the railway.
prabhakar@myrepublica.com
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