Centre's move to privatise Railways decried in Tirupati

Tirupati: Pilgrim city reverberated with slogans on Wednesday opposing the Central government's move to privatise Indian Railways.

Several organisations like Andhra Pradesh Abhivrudhi Porata Samithi (AAPS), Nava Samaj Federation (NSF), Rayalaseema Porata Samithi (RPS) and Sudarshan Auto Union organised a dharna at Tirupati Railway Station protesting the Centre's move to privatise railways. They gathered in large numbers and raised slogans against the Modi government. The leaders alleged that the Centre had chalked out a 100-day plan of action which will open the flood gates for privatisation in railways. To benefit the private players, the NDA government was trying to privatise railways which has been generating a revenue of Rs 2.5 lakh crore per annum and extending services to 3 crore people daily.

They decried the move by the Minister for Railways Piyush Goyal to give permissions to private operators to run passenger trains. Though, the track, rakes and other infrastructure belongs to Railways, private operators run trains by using all the infra and earn huge profits and put passengers to hardships with increased fares and other restrictions.

Once railways go into the hands of private people, employees will have no guarantee for their jobs and will not have any insurance facilities. People will have to forego various concessions and freight transport will become costlier which will have a serious impact on all sections of the people.

The private operators will certainly fleece passengers in the form of user charges and other fees for each and everything and will make life difficult for ordinary people, they argued. Employment opportunities will also be affected seriously and lakhs of educated youth, auto labourers and small and marginal business people will have to lose their livelihood.

They warned that if government fails to withdraw the idea of railway privatisation, which was the fourth largest railway system in the world, then the agitations will be intensified, the leaders warned.

AAPS President N Raja Reddy, RPS Convener P Naveen Kumar Reddy, NSF President N Nagesh, SK Mohammed Rafi, IS Khaja and other leaders spoke on the occasion. Balija Association, Navyandhra student JAC, Railway Employees Union, RTC National Mazdoor Union, and several other unions took part in the protest.

Earlier, they held huge rallies from different parts of the city to railway station. Meanwhile, various trade unions are going to stage dharna on Friday (July 26) against Centre's proposed move to privatise railways.