He doesn’t hide his ambition of becoming PM [Picture source]
Lalu Prasad Yadav’s fame has taken a new turn. He is no longer known as the torchbearer of a lawless Bihar, he is now recognized as the main architect of Indian Railway’s dramatic turnaround. Accolades from within country have been pouring in for quite awhile, what with his addressing students and faculty alike at the IIM, Ahmedabad some time back.
And now students from premier US institutes, Harvard and Wharton Business Schools, have come all the way to hear Lalu Yadav on Dec 27 on the success of Indian Railways. Their coming happened only after the professors of the elite business schools came earlier and satisfied themselves about the veracity of the turnaround story.
The episode speaks volumes about what a capable person can do when there’s no meddling from outside in what he’s trying to do. One suspects Lalu Yadav himself didn’t imagine that Railway would indeed achieve the impossible. However, in spite of negative perceptions, he went about his job ensuring primarily that the monolith gets full value for its resources put to use.
And yes he did make sure that the people at the helm of Indian Railway have the liberty to take and implement decisions without undue interference. He didn’t let prejudices and lofty advices from self-acclaimed economists judge the events unlike his predecessors, achieving in the process what was hitherto considered unthinkable.
Now that the weight of expectation is hanging heavy on his shoulders, Lalu Yadav is proceeding on other fronts as well. IRCTC’s (Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation) recent innovative ventures are an example (see my post, Visit India, courtesy IRCTC)
IRCTC owns Rail Yatri Niwas at almost every major station, but none have so far spinned good amount of money due to lackadaisical attitude on the part of Railway. Now they’re being hived off for private management even as the ownership stays with the Railway.
Thus, while 36-room Rail Yatri Niwas at Howrah is to be managed by Vizag-based Meghalaya Hotels Private Ltd, the 90-room Delhi Yatri Niwas is being handed over to none other than Indian Hotels Company Ltd of the famous Taj group. The private companies will not only inject their fund to run them, but will also give license fees and share profits with IRCTC (refer report in ET, Kolkata, Dec 29).
But there is more in the offing for the Railway. Come next year, Indian Railway is set to allow private container train operators on their tracks. This is expected to boost Railway’s income manifold in view of booming Indian economy. And once the dedicated freight corridors come into being, there will be no stopping the Railways.
All this apart from the fact that the Railway hasn’t yet unlocked its another treasure, which is the highly-valued huge land bank it has through the length and breadth of the country. Add them up and it’s not difficult to see that for Indian Railway the golden peak isn’t something inaccessible.
It can very well be within grasp in not-so-distant future. All the best wishes to Indian Railway and its charismatic chief, Lalu Prasad Yadav.
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