Lalu to deliver lecture at Harvard University

Patna, Mar 14 (UNI) Railway Minister Lalu Prasad will address teachers and students of a number of premier universities of the world on the turnaround of Indian Railways from a loss-making organisation into a profit-making entity during his visit abroad next month.

General Manager of East Central Railway Girish Bhatnagar told reporters here today that Chicago and Harvard University of America were in the list of institutions, where he would deliver lectures on success stories of Indian Railways and better management skill with human face respectively.

Mr Bhatnagar said students of the University of Texas and University of Virginia would call on Mr Prasad in New Delhi on March 16 to personally acquaint themselves with the mystery behind the spectacular performance of the Indian railways during his regime.

He said earlier students of Harvard university had compared the contribution of Mr Prasad to Indian Railway with that of Mr Jack Wales to General Electric of the US, who had turned it from a 13 billion dollar company into hundreds of billion dollar company applying his superb manegerial skill.

Mr Prasad had proved that privatisation was not a panacea for turning sick companies into a profit-making entity, he said.

Comparing the fare and freight charges in the Indian Railways with those in America, Mr Bhatnagar said freight carriage of Indian Railways was ten times more than that of American railway, while passengers fare in India was only five per cent of what passengers in America pay.

Mr Bhatnagar expressed concern over the crimes in train and said operation in Bihar was becoming more difficult due to ''poor'' law and order situation.

UNI