Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has ruled out the possibility privatisation of Indian Railways. He also said that the railways will have to bear the public service obligation – which is currently between Rs 30,000 and 35,000 crore – for the foreseeable future.
“This cannot be done in India. I think the railways is a mode of last resort for common people for transportation and we will have to bear that burden as well as the responsibility,” he said.
“You cannot say railways’ problems will be solved by privatisation,” he told media on Wednesday. “The solution should be an outcome based approach. Very few railways in the world are privatised,” he added.
He further added that no private companies will be interested in buying railways because of the public service obligation that will come along with the purchase.
The Union minister also said that the Indian Railways is ready for complete digitisation to curb corruption. He added that the move can save at least Rs 60,000 crore.
