‘Super plan’ for railways

[BDforever]

Finance Minister AMA Muhith has spoken of a ‘super plan’ for the development of the railways sector, what he says will ‘dazzle’ all when he presents the 2013-14 fiscal budget.

“The government will take a revolutionary step for development of the railways, something no previous government had done. We hope our initiative will be continued,” Muhith told bdnews24.com in an interview in his office.

“As part of that plan, the new budget has a super plan for the railways,” he said.

The forthcoming budget session will be the last for the incumbent Awami League-led ruling coalition.
Annual Development Programme (ADP) allocations saw a sharp rise in this year of election. The government is also on a spending spree and bank borrowings are going up sharply.

“The upcoming budget will integrate the socio-economic development of the past four years and will provide pointers for the next government,” he said.

A report will be placed in the parliament on the government's performance in implementing its poll-time promises.

“The super plan for the railways sector will dazzle all this time. We want to begin a new era for the railways with new projects and sufficient allocations for them.”

Muhith said beside separate allocations, high-technology will be inducted into the railways.

Bangladesh Railway, made up of truncated portions of the erstwhile East Bengal Railway and Bengal Assam Railway (of the then British-Indian rail system), inherited a number of structural and physical weaknesses as the network was not specially designed and constructed to serve Bangladesh.

Since the liberation of Bangladesh, instead of constructing new rail-routes, some of the branch line railway sections were declared redundant and subsequently closed and no proper attention to maintain the existing asset was being given. “Although huge development budget has been allocated for roads & highways sector, a little attention has been given to rail sector,” says a study on Bangladesh Railways by Saidur Rahman.

Rahman says more than 1200 kms rail lines are under risk for operation due to lack of proper maintenance. The railways also face a shortage of locomotives and route capacity.

Rahman says the withdrawal of government funding assistance is a serious threat to the long term survival of the railways.

Now that course-correction is what Muhith seems to be promising in the forthcoming budget.

Muhith said that the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting of Tuesday will approve of Tk 740 billion annual development programme (ADP) allotment for fiscal 2013-14.

This year’s allotment seems a bit high owing to expenses involved in developing several automated institutions.

Muhith refused to comment on the size of the budget. “What will I tell on Jun 6 if I reveal everything now? I am working on the budget now and will continued to do so until Jun 2.”

The veteran politician will be placing his seventh budget at the parliament on Jun 6.

From what Muhith said, the upcoming 2013-14 fiscal budget will prioritise power, fuel, roads, railways, ports and infrastructure development.

“Human resource development, agriculture and rural development, employment, empowering social security, climate change and digital Bangladesh will also be important priorities reflected in this budget.”

source: http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2013/05/28/super-plan-for-railways

 

[INDIC]

@BDforever Any railway connectivity with Myanmar in the "Super Plan"

 

[BDforever]

@BDforever Any railway connectivity with Myanmar in the "Super Plan"

can be , who knows

 

[the just]

Its high time.most prospectus source ,but most neglected for last 40 years.it can easily be the next best thing after the lost glorious days of river connectivity.

 

[eastwatch]

People will not like my comments. But, I think whatever may the amount of budgetary allotment for railway this time the improvements will be eaten away during the following few years by the inefficient and corrupt officials of the railway department.

Railway must be administered by private companies and not by the inefficient govt bureaucrats. We see what these people have already done to this organization. But, the govt is trying to cure cancer by administering eye ointment to heal the disease. Muhith action is too late and too little.

There will be another round of supplementary budget for rly after only a few years. This has been an ongoing process since after the British left.

 

[RangerPK]

Good to see Bangladesh developing.

 

[livingdead]

People will not like my comments. But, I think whatever may the amount of budgetary allotment for railway this time the improvements will be eaten away during the following few years by the inefficient and corrupt officials of the railway department.

Railway must be administered by private companies and not by the inefficient govt bureaucrats. We see what these people have already done to this organization. But, the govt is trying to cure cancer by administering eye ointment to heal the disease. Muhith action is too late and too little.

There will be another round of supplementary budget for rly after only a few years. This has been an ongoing process since after the British left.

BD is too small to have a private railways. To have effective competition you need to have multiple players in the market. You cant privatize bits of tracks,or signalling systems. You will allow multiple operators on same track, but will any company agree(small operation will make it expensive)

 

[eastwatch]

BD is too small to have a private railways. To have effective competition you need to have multiple players in the market. You cant privatize bits of tracks,or signalling systems. You will allow multiple operators on same track, but will any company agree(small operation will make it expensive)

Being an intelligent guy, why are you talking naive here? What is there with the size of a country? Railway operations can be separated and given to separate private companies. It is just like bus transport. What is your idea when bus was run by Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation or BRTC? Even the tyres were eaten away by our patriotic citizens.

 

[scholseys]

super plan from our rubbish minister

 

[acetophenol]

Bangladesh is a true star,i must say.

 

[Bamboo Castle]

@BDforever Any railway connectivity with Myanmar in the "Super Plan"

I do not know. But, there will be railway connectivity with India for sure..

 

[Bamboo Castle]

super plan from our rubbish minister

Yeah! In one elevator at least I found a writing, "Ei lift a Mal Tola Nishedh" along with the pic of the finance minister.

 

[livingdead]

Being an intelligent guy, why are you talking naive here? What is there with the size of a country? Railway operations can be separated and given to separate private companies. It is just like bus transport. What is your idea when bus was run by Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation or BRTC? Even the tyres were eaten away by our patriotic citizens.

It is not like bus transport. That is the problem dear.
Size(of operation of any business) is important as it will ensure enough money for operator, otherwise they will charge higher prices.
You dont have enough tracks to have effective competition. BTW tracks and signalling is unlikely to be privatized, and taxpayers money will be spent there.

 

[Rokto14]

Yeah! In one elevator at least I found a writing, "Ei lift a Mal Tola Nishedh" along with the pic of the finance minister.

Shouldn't it be 'Ei lift-e Mal tola uchit'?

 

[eastwatch]

It is not like bus transport. That is the problem dear.
Size(of operation of any business) is important as it will ensure enough money for operator, otherwise they will charge higher prices.
You dont have enough tracks to have effective competition. BTW tracks and signalling is unlikely to be privatized, and taxpayers money will be spent there.

How it is different from bus operation? Can you send two lines to explain that? You mean to say a bus company earns more money than a rly company who operates a 200 km line?

It is the number of commuters that decide the profit of a transport business, be it a bus or a rly company.

BD railway will not develop unless its ownership is divided into many and each then is operated by multiple private operators.