Railway's profits not linked to any of Lalu's measures: BJP

New Delhi, Nov 19 (UNI) The BJP today denied that Railway Minister Lalu Prasad has any role to play in making the Railways a ''profit-making'' institution, saying none of the management experts have been able to link Rs 13,000-odd crore profits to any specific measures taken by him.

Former Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council member and member of the BJP think-tank Jagadish Shettigar said, ''One cannot deny the fact that the Indian Railways are making profit at a time when Mr Prasad is a Minister. But, there is no way that any measure taken today will have an immediate effect on profits and losses of a transport behemoth.'' ''In such economic ministry, it is the measure taken by former Railway Ministers Mamata Banerjee and Nitish Kumar. In fact, if something good or bad is happening from 2006-07 onwards, it is attributed to the measures taken by Mr Prasad,'' he said.

Talking to UNI, Mr Shettigar said if the Railways are earning profits it is because of the implementation of Railway Reforms Committee in 2001, which laid stress on commericial utilisation of railway lands, maximum utilisation of wagon capacity and broadbanding of railway communication network.

''One should not forget that when Ms Banerjee refused to increase passenger fares, she was criticised as an anti-reformist person acting against interests of the Railways,'' Mr Shettigar said.

He said the yardsticks for success should be -- the Railways operate its trains according to schedule, reduction in accident rate, offer of safe, neat and good services to users.

''You just have to visit any station to understand if things are in order. If an objective analysis is done, I am sure everyone will agree that much needs to be done than merely going by figures of profits and losses,'' he said.

Mr Shettigar said it was obvious that Mr Prasad did not have any magic wand to make things turnaround. ''Otherwise, the situation in Bihar would not have been what it is now where the state was reduced to near bankruptcy during 15 years of Lalu-Rabri regime, he alleged.

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