Panel to suggest restructuring of Railway Board meets

New Delhi: A high-level committee of experts, set up to suggest ways to restructure the Railway Board as part of reforms in the railway ministry, held its first meeting today discussing ways to go about.

The committee, headed by economist Bibek Debroy, is understood to have discussed the terms and reference of the committee and ways of involving various stakeholders in the consultation process.

The seven-member body, including the Board Chairman, will suggest ways for separating policy-making and operations at the Board level to put project execution on the fast track.

Currently, the Railway Board is involved in policy- making as well as coordinating operations also.

Considered the first major step to bring about reforms in the functioning of Railway Ministry and the Railway Board, formation of the committee also includes former Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar and a nominee of Department of Economic Affairs as members of the expert body.

Restructuring of the Railway Board was announced in Modi government's maiden rail budget this year.

"It was a budget proposal and the Ministry has constituted the committee accordingly," said the official.

The committee will also suggest modalities for setting up the Rail Tariff Authority.

Gusharan Das, former CMD of Procter and Gamble, Ravi Narain, former MD of National Stock Exchange and Partha Mukhopadhaya, Senior Fellow of Centre of Policy Research, are other members of the committee.