The government is considering a proposal to set up a Railway Stations Authority for Indian Railways as a part of its ambitious modernization plan. This was hinted by the Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi while replying to a discussion on the Appropriation Bill 2011 in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. He said, the proposed Railway Stations Authority will be on the lines of the Airports Authority.

Elaborating the modernization plans, he said, the Railways needs a huge fund of over 5 lakh 60 thousand crore rupees for its modernization. He hoped the Indian Railways will be the engine of growth of the country contributing to its GDP growth. Stating that safety of the rail travel is the top priority of the government, Mr Trivedi said, it is the effort of his Ministry to ensure that there is not a single accident or death.

The Railway Minister said that he had held consultations with experts on the issue of rail safety and to ensure better financial health for the Railways. He sought the cooperation of all sections of the House in improving the railway system.

Later, the House returned the Bill by voice vote. With this, the Bill received Parliament’s seal of approval. Earlier, the Lok Sabha had passed it.

The Rajya Sabha also adopted the Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) amendment Bill, 2008, by voice vote. The Bill is aimed at amending some sections of the original Act to cover all the facets of crime related to theft of Railway property.