Indianisation of Railways

Lahore, Saturday, September 20, 1924

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THE question of Indianisation of the Railways and Railway Services came up for consideration in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday in connection with the official proposal for the separation of railway finance from general finance. On this subject, there appears to have been no serious difference of opinion in the House, but the nationalist party proposed an amendment to the effect that the Assembly’s approval of the Government resolution should be subject to two essential conditions: (a) “No railway line now under State management and no railway line now managed by a company whose contract may hereafter expire should be handed over to the company management without the previous approval of the Legislative Assembly”; and (b) “The Railway Services should be rapidly Indianised and Indians appointed members of the Railway Board as early as possible.” Both are matters of great importance, and as regards both, Sir Purushottamdas Thakurdas, who moved the amendment, made out a very strong case in favour of his proposals. The Commerce members in support of the official resolution had stated that the Railways was of vital importance to India. That was precisely the reason, said Sir Purushottamdas, why the Assembly wanted to have a substantial say in the railway policy. The Railways was the property of the taxpayer, and the Assembly, as the sole representative of the taxpayer, was clearly entitled to an effective hearing in the matter. Again, the Assembly was being asked, by means of the official resolution, to abandon its right to make cuts in the railway budget, with a view to relieve the general exchequer or to transfer the railway surplus to meet the deficit in any year.