Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<ul><li>The <keyword id="5293859" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="odisha-train-accident" source="Orion">Odisha train accident</keyword> which resulted in the death of 275 people has turned the spotlight on the <keyword id="1317735" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="kavach" source="Orion">Kavach</keyword> initiative that aims to make <keyword id="6355455" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="indian-railways" source="Orion">Indian railways</keyword> safer. </li><li>Announced in a revamped avatar in the 2022 Union Budget, the Kavach system was not rolled out on the <keyword id="6357961" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="odisha" source="Orion">Odisha</keyword> route. </li><li>Of the total route length of 1.03 lakh kilometres, only 1,455 kilometres have been brought under Kavach yet. </li></ul>The Odisha triple-train crash, which resulted in the death of 275 people and injured 1,175, has turned the focus on the Kavach initiative that aims to make Indian <keyword id="6360676" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="railways" source="Orion">railways</keyword> safer. The Kavach (translates to armour in English) system has not been rolled out on the Odisha route yet. “The Kavach system was not available on this route,” said Amitabh Sharma, Indian Railways spokesperson. The government has drawn sharp criticism from several quarters for ignoring railway safety. In a bid to prevent the incidence of accidents, the government announced in 2022 that it would start rolling out a revamped avatar of Kavach on a trial basis, initially covering 2,000 kilometres and then expanding the coverage further. However, only 1,455 kilometres of railway routes under South Central Railway have been brought under Kavach as of January 2023. The government has plans to expand it to 4,000 to 5,000 km in FY24, and has so far spent ₹17-22 crore on rolling out the system. For context, Indian Railways has a total route coverage of nearly 1.03 lakh km. Essentially, a little over 1% of Indian Railways’ route is protected by Kavach so far. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What is Kavach?" comment="subhead" text="What is Kavach?"><keyword id="13307732" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="what-is-kavach" source="Orion">What is Kavach</keyword>?</cmsannotation> Kavach is an indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system developed by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), an Indian Railways department, way back in 2002. The Kavach system is designed to prevent collisions of trains – a leading cause of railway accidents in India. While there have been 58 railway accidents in the last 10 years, the Odisha accident is the deadliest. This protection system is aimed at avoiding accidents arising out of driver-related or technical errors, as well as aid drivers (loco pilots) in running the trains safely even in inclement weather conditions. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Could Kavach have helped avoid the Odisha accident?" comment="subhead" text="Could Kavach have helped avoid the Odisha accident?">Could Kavach have helped avoid the Odisha accident?</cmsannotation> Kavach was not active on the Odisha route. However, even if the system was deployed, it could not have prevented the tragedy, according to railway officials. The accident involved the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, and a goods train. While the two passenger trains were running on parallel tracks, the Coromandel Express got derailed and hit the goods train. Its derailed carriages struck the rear carriages of the Howrah Superfast Express on the adjacent track, according to railway ministry officials. "If an obstruction comes suddenly in front of a high-moving vehicle, then no technology in the world would prevent an accident,"<a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1665270642797875200"> said</a> Jaya Varma Sinha, member of operation and business development, Railway Board. She added that the presence of iron ore in the goods train led to the higher number of casualties. According to Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, a failure of the interlocking mechanism led to the triple-train accident. "The change that occurred during electronic interlocking caused the accident. Whoever did it and how it happened will be found out after a proper investigation," Vaihsnaw told news agency ANI. According to preliminary reports, the Coromandel Express’ loco pilot did not make an error. The train was given a signal to pass. However, it crashed into the goods train due to the failure of the interlocking mechanism putting it onto the same path as the goods train. At the time of impact, the Coromandel Express was at a speed of 128 kmph. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Railway safety in focus" comment="subhead" text="Railway safety in focus">Railway safety in focus</cmsannotation> Although officials say that the Kavach system could not have prevented the Odisha accident, it still brings railway safety into focus. According to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), Indian Railways has failed to utilise funds earmarked for undertaking safety-related expenditure. The report adds that Indian Railways was supposed to spend ₹1 lakh crore from FY18 to FY23 on safety, at ₹20,000 crore per year. Of this, the government was supposed to pay ₹15,000 crore every year, and the rest crore was to be raised by the Indian Railways. The report states that the Railways failed to do so in every year between FY18 to FY23. With a little over 1% of Indian Railways’ total route length under Kavach and in the aftermath of the deadliest railway accident in decades, safety concerns are taking centrestage. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/rbi-mpc-likely-to-hold-repo-rate-in-june-policy-as-inflation-cools/articleshow/100760075.cms">RBI monetary policy: MPC likely to keep the pause-button pressed</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/wedding-season-drives-hero-motocorp-and-bajaj-auto-sales-in-may/articleshow/100700290.cms">Wedding bells drive two-wheeler sales in May, passenger vehicles cruise on SUVs</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/indias-gdp-forecast-raised-but-el-nino-export-contraction-threats-hover/articleshow/100693955.cms">India’s GDP forecast raised but El Nino, export contraction threats hover</a>

Explained: What is Kavach? The Railways’ protective armour missing in Odisha

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) is an authority instituted by the Constitution of India /Part V - Chapter V/Sub-part 7B/Article 148. The prime responsibility of CAG is to audit the government’s receipts and expenditure including the entities that are funded by the government. CAG also has the power to audit the government owned corporations and the firms in which the union government has more than 51 percent stakes. <keyword id="137636" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="CAG-reports">CAG reports</keyword> are submitted to the Public Accounts Committees (PACs) and Committees on Public Undertakings (COPUs), which are part of the Parliament of India and the legislatures of different states. The CAG is also the supreme head of the Indian Audit and Accounts Department. Notably the affairs of this department is administered by the officers of the Indian Audit and Accounts Service. CAG Audit Reports CAG reports in India can be understood under four heads as given under. CAG Local Bodies Audit Reports The state Accountant Generals (AGs) in every state of India prepare the CAG Local Bodies Audit reports. Following the approval by the CAG, the Local Bodies Audit reports are grouped under two types namely 'Tabled in the Legislature' and 'Issued to State Government'. CAG State Audit Reports The Accountants General audits the transactions done from the Consolidated Fund of the state. The CAG then submits its findings to the state legislature. Generally, the reports are presented during the budget season and present the findings of the audit of transactions done during the previous year. Similar to the case of union government, the audit is done in two streams namely Performance Audit and Regularity Audit. Nevertheless, in most cases, the findings of both these audits are presented together. CAG Union Audit Reports The Union Audit Reports prepared by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India show the findings of the transaction audit and performance audit in the areas of Civil Audit, Audit of Autonomous Bodies, Defence Services, Railways, Receipts of the Government and Central Commercial. The CAG Audit is done under two categories namely Performance Audit and Regularity (Compliance) Audit. CAG audit of the government owned corporations Yet another power of the CAG is to audit the government owned corporations and conduct the supplementary audit of the government firms in which the Union Government has not less than 51 percent equity shares. What happens to the CAG reports The reports of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India pertaining to the accounts of the Union government will be first submitted to the President, who will arrange for laying them in front of both houses of the parliament. The reports of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India connected to the accounts of a State’s governance will be first submitted to the Governor of the State, who will arrange to lay them in front of the state legislature. The reports of the CAG are crucially important for the Public Accounts Committees (PACs) and Committees on Public Undertakings (COPUs). These are special committees forming part of the Parliament of India and the state legislatures.

What are CAG audit reports and what happens once the reports are published - All you need to know

The <keyword id="6355455" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Railways">Indian Railways</keyword> is planning to discontinue giving blankets in some AC trains, following criticism that it gives dirty blankets to passengers. Recently, a CAG report criticised the railways on cleanliness and hygiene in trains and stations. Instead, railways is working on a pilot project to maintain the temperature of the <keyword id="6369612" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="AC-coaches">AC coaches</keyword>. The railways will work on a pilot project and maintain the temperature at 24°C in these AC coaches, up from the current 19°C. According to initial estimates, the move to do away with blankets is an economical option, considering that it takes Rs 55 to clean the bedroll while passengers are charged just Rs 22 for it. Railways guidelines stipulate that the blankets are to be washed every one to two months, which was not being followed, resulting in the transporter being flooded with complaints.

Railways might discontinue giving blankets in some AC trains. Here’s why

A day after the CAG released a report critical of the food served in stations and trains, the <keyword id="76223" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ministry-of-Railways">Ministry of Railways</keyword> today said the IRCTC has formed a new catering policy by unbundling the current services on trains, according to a PTI news report.In order to better the quality of food, the Indian <keyword id="6356740" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Railway">Railway</keyword> Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC) will set up new kitchens and upgrade the existing ones, the ministry said in an official statement.The IRCTC has been mandated to carry out the unbundling by creating a distinction, primarily, between food preparation and its distribution, it said.The statement came after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), in a report yesterday, had termed the food served at stations and in trains "unfit for human consumption".The ministry said as per the new catering policy of 2017, the IRCTC will manage the services on all mobile units and pantry car contracts will be reassigned to the railways' catering arm. Meals for all mobile units will be picked up from the nominated kitchens owned, operated and managed by the IRCTC, it said.

CAG report impact: Railway food to undergo policy change

Rs 11.17 crore! That’s how much <keyword id="61108" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="North-Central-Railway">North Central Railway</keyword> (NCR) and <keyword id="82627" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="South-Central-Railway">South Central Railway</keyword> (SCR) have levied from its passengers for booking in superfast trains. However, a recent investigation by <keyword id="6356851" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="CAG">CAG</keyword> shows, these ‘superfast’ trains have been delayed almost 95% times. <keyword id="51689" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Railway-Board">Railway Board</keyword> has defined superfast trains as the ones that run at an average speed of 55kmph. Given the fact that most express trains with exception to a handful runs on that speed, passengers are charged extra for most long distance train travels. The study done between 2013-14 to 2015-16 in NCR and SCR shows that these trains reached the destination late between 13.48% and 95.17% of the days on which they ran. In total, 21 superfast trains were delayed on 3,000 days out of 16,804 days because they failed to attain the 'superfast' speed, according to a TOI news report. Currently there is no policy by which the railways will refund money to passengers automatically for delays. It’s only when a person files a ticket deposit against reservation (<keyword id="59440" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="TDR">TDR</keyword>) against a train delayed for more than three hours is a refund possible. Also 'superfast' surcharges vary for different class of coaches. For example, it is Rs 15 for general coaches, Rs 30 for sleeper, Rs 45 for AC (chair car, AC-3 economy, AC-3, AC-2 classes) and Rs 75 for AC First/Executive class which were effective from April 1, 2013, as per the TOI news report. <keyword id="6356295" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Agra">Agra</keyword> divisional commercial manager <keyword id="4798023" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="sanchit-tyagi">Sanchit Tyagi</keyword> told TOI, "There are scores of factors which lead to trains not achieving their superfast speed, thus causing delays. Some the prominent factors are the maintenance of tracks, signal glitches, emergency brakes and accidents which contribute in the late operations of railways."

Railways charging extra for superfast trains that are 95% times delayed

Comptroller and auditor general (CAG), that audit all expenses, has flagged "glaring lapses" on the part of railway accounting officials, leading to numerous cases of misclassification and mistakes in accounting. 
 
Despite repeated assurances by the railways of rectifying the errors, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has observed several cases of misclassification in the railways' accounts in the five-year period between 2010-11 and 2014-15, according to agency news report. 
 
Misclassification refers to an income or expenditure classified under the wrong head of account. Mistakes in accounting include non-accounting of transactions, belated adjustments in accounts and operations of unauthorised heads of accounts. 
 In its latest report, the CAG also referred to the findings of the <keyword id="81545" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="public-accounts-committee">Public Accounts Committee</keyword> (<keyword id="6363834" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="PAC">PAC</keyword>) which had objected to the accounting errors repeatedly. 
 <keyword id="4282617" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="quoting-pac">Quoting PAC</keyword> reports, it said the railways should devise a mechanism to bring down the cases of misclassification as these indicate not only apparent inadequacies in the accounting system but also glaring lapses on the part of accounting officials. 
 
The national auditor has also examined the impact of non-rectification of errors on financial statements and key indicators. 
 
During the review, 64 cases of persistent miscalculations of expenditure worth Rs 53.47 crore were pointed out by the CAG and accepted by the railways. 
 
Similarly 66 cases of irregular adjustments in 11 zonal railways involving a monetary value of Rs 1,431.05 crore were pointed out by the auditors and accepted by the railways. 
 
The CAG has suggested effective coordination between executive departments and accounts to detect and rectify the mistakes before the end of a financial year and to take effective measures so as to keep stringent check on misclassification in accounting. 
 
The national auditor has advocated for internal audit to identify the thrust areas where misclassifications are committed and to strengthen the internal control mechanism suitably. 
 
In order to prevent errors, it has suggested that compendium of common mistakes to be prepared and circulated for guidance of the staff. A checklist for guidelines of the staff in view of audit observations should be prepared so that mistakes are not committed year after year.

CAG just pointed out errors
in expenditure worth Rs 53.47 crore in the railways

<ul><li>The <keyword id="6355455" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="indian-railways">Indian Railways</keyword> has decided to ditch the old ‘high maintenance’ heavy woollen blankets and make way for new ones that can be washed twice a month.</li><li> A <keyword id="6359828" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="comptroller-and-auditor-general">Comptroller and Auditor General</keyword> (CAG) report released last year revealed that some blankets were washed at an interval of 6-26 months. </li><li>On a typical day, the railways use around 3,90,000 blankets for passengers travelling in AC classes. </li></ul> If the idea of a train journey through the waxing and waning topography of rural India fills you with a sense of nostalgia, if you are yearning for that hot matka of chai at a railway station on a chilly winter morning, if you think that people who spend thousands of rupees to take a 2-hour flight are plain stupid, perhaps the fact that railways blankets are washed once in two months will make you pause, rewind and opt for an alternate mode of transport. However, now the Indian Railways has decided to ditch the old ‘high maintenance’ heavy woollen blankets and make way for new ones that can be washed twice a month! This move may have something to do with a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report released last year that revealed that some blankets were washed at an interval of 6-26 months, amongst numerous other <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/now-cag-criticises-indian-railways-over-dirty-linen-blankets-and-pillows/story-g9UMcL4c4qll5PwYrpbwbJ.html">issues</a> the report flagged. Not only that, used blankets will be sanitised ‘regularly’ before being passed on to the next user. (Currently, a blanket is sanitised once in <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/budget-2016/rail-budget-2016/You-smelt-it-right-Railways-washes-blankets-every-two-months/articleshow/51162191.cms">15 days</a>.) And finally, the service life of a blanket, which is the amount of time a blanket will be used, has been reduced to two years, as opposed to four. The woollen blankets they have now cost around Rs. 400 per piece. However, needless to say, this ‘upgraded’ mix of woollen and nylon is expected to cost almost double. But that’s a price the railways may be willing to pay, considering the number of complaints they get from travellers raising a stink about dirty, smelly blankets. The directive from the railways to all zones says that ideally, these new blankets are to be washed twice a month, subject to available capacity and logistics arrangements. But should this prove to be a tall order, the blankets need to be washed <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/railways/blankets-for-ac-travellers-to-be-washed-twice-a-month/articleshow/64745089.cms?utm_source=Colombia&amp;utm_medium=OrganicNative&amp;utm_campaign=CTN&amp;utm_content=19">‘minimum once in a month.’</a> On a typical day, the railways use around 3,90,000 blankets for passengers travelling in AC classes. And while those lucky enough to travel in the first class receive a changed blanket cover after every use, those travelling in AC second and third class don’t. Those whose weren’t aware of these facts and numbers may take solace in the fact that the Indian Railways is aiming to provide a fresh set of train linen and blanket for ‘each journey’. In fact, there are already 50 mechanised laundries and the railways plan to add ten more shortly.

Blankets provided on trains by Indian Railways will soon be fresher and cleaner

The <keyword id="6355455" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="indian-railways">Indian Railways</keyword> has received a lot of flak not only from passengers but also from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) that lashed out at it for failing to meet the <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/now-cag-criticises-indian-railways-over-dirty-linen-blankets-and-pillows/story-g9UMcL4c4qll5PwYrpbwbJ.html">basic hygiene standards</a> and highlighted critical safety <a href="http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-after-andheri-rob-collapse-audit-reports-of-overbridges-come-into-limelight-2633028">flaws</a> in the <keyword id="17408" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="infrastructure">infrastructure</keyword>. And while there are numerous examples of how the railways is trying to spruce things up a bit and get their act together, fact is, apart from the relatively lighter changes like placing <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indian-railways-is-going-to-live-stream-its-kitchens-to-the-world-to-ensure-transparency/articleshow/64600841.cms">cameras in kitchens</a> and acquiring <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/blankets-provided-on-trains-by-indian-railways-will-soon-be-fresher-and-cleaner/articleshow/64764828.cms">blankets</a> that can be washed twice a month, the railways is engaged in some heavy duty changes that are geared towards safety, convenience and basic timeliness of the <keyword id="6360847" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="trains">trains</keyword>. According to a report by the <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/railways/how-aging-creaking-crumbling-railways-is-getting-a-new-life/articleshow/64852991.cms">Economic Times</a>, here are ten key changes the Indian Railways is currently indulging in. <ol><li>Eliminating unmanned railway crossings: A little over two months after the unfortunate <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/india/kushinagar-accident-14-children-killed-as-train-hits-school-bus-at-railway-crossing-1729955.html">Kushinagar train accident</a> when a train rammed into a school van killing 14 children at an unmanned railway crossing (UMLC), the railways is aggressively working on eliminating all unmanned railway crossings. To achieve this it has given itself a deadline of 31 March 2020. In fact, the railways has already <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/railways-eliminates-all-unmanned-level-crossings-from-4-zones-5239251/">eliminated</a> all UMLCs in four zones on <keyword id="409555" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="broad-gauge">broad gauge</keyword> routes in July — West Central Railway, Central Railway, Eastern Railway and South East Central Railway — and is well on its way to eliminating unmanned level crossings in 11 zones by September 2018. <div type="image" title="pexels-photo-892541." tempid="406286" msid="64859688" hostid="261"></div>

 </li><li>Giving old, worn-out tracks an upgrade: A <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/586-train-accidents-in-last-5-years-53-due-to-derailments/articleshow/60141578.cms">Times of India</a> report in October 2017 claimed that almost 53% of the 586 train accidents in the last five years were due to derailments. And ageing and/or defective railways tracks is one of the primary causes of derailments. Therefore, the railways has boosted its efforts to replace its ageing tracks and repair defective ones. In fact, the railways claim that there is a 50% increase in rail track renewal from 2,926 kilometres in 2013-14 to 4,405 kilometres in 2017-18. </li><li>Construction of foot-over-bridges: In September 2017, a stampede at <keyword id="6358070" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="mumbai">Mumbai</keyword>’s Elphinstone Railway Station foot-over-bridge claimed 22 lives. The cause of the stampede is not clear but it is quite apparent that the bridge was too narrow and clearly not sufficient to handle the daily footfall of the station. In fact, a <a href="http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2017/sep/29/mumbai-elphinstone-station-stampede-railways-ignored-warning-that-its-foot-over-bridges-are-narrow-1664659.html">CAG report in 2006</a> had flagged that the railways had reduced the width of the bridges and stated that foot-over-bridges should be at least 6 m width at all suburban railway platforms. However, now the railways claims that they have managed to up its game and has constructed 74 bridges per year between 2014-18 which is a 221% jump from 23 per year during 2009-14. </li><li>Device to guide train drivers through fog: Come winters, rail travel becomes a massive nightmare. Lack of visibility thanks to extreme fog inevitably leads to delays and accidents. But in December 2017, the national transporter installed <a href="http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2017/dec/12/indian-railways-to-use-gps-enabled-devices-to-fight-fog-this-season-1725490.html">4,920 GPS-enabled FOG PASS devices</a> to help loco pilots navigate through the fog. The gadget displays a map of tracks, signals, stations and level crossings and alerts drivers of approaching signals 500 meters ahead, which in turn helps the driver increase or decrease the speed of the train. Believe it or not, before these devices, the common practice to alert drivers was to tie <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Railways-tie-crackers-to-beat-fog/articleshow/45526196.cms">crackers</a> to the tracks. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 <div type="image" title="vignesh-moorthy-419909-unsplash" msid="64859532" hostid="261"></div>

















 Photo by : <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/n9dBt4g2Ss4?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Vignesh Moorthy</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/search/photos/india?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash </a><a href="https://unsplash.com/search/photos/india?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText"></a></li><li>Improved signalling system: In order to eradicate outdated manual signalling, the government pumped in a whopping ₹12990 million to modernise the system. This new automated signalling system aims to enhance safety and speed up train movement in a congested network. Apart from this, the railways intends to provide electronic interlocking systems, introduce European Train Control System technology and mobile train radio communication systems as a part of its five-year upgradation agenda. </li><li>Waterproof engines: Heavy rainfall has historically added to the woes of Indian commuters. Waterlogging not only on roads but also on railway tracks lead to delays and brings cities like Mumbai to a standstill. However, the Indian Railways plans to remedy the issue by introducing waterproof locomotive engines to basically tow stranded trains that. Four inches of water can bring a standard train engine to a standstill, however, these <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/railways/take-a-look-at-indian-railways-waterproof-engine-than-can-haul-rakes-stranded-in-rains/saviour-engine/slideshow/64573538.cms">new engines</a> are equipped to operate in 12 inches of water. </li><li>Measure to make purchasing tickets easier: To nudge people towards a cashless system, the national transporter has installed 9,100 point of sale (POS) machines at about 4,000 locations including rail ticket counters. </li><li>Station facelift: The railways plans to spruce up major railway stations big time. The revamped stations will ape modern airports and will therefore include modern facilities like escalators, lifts, subways, ramps, AC VIP lounge, AC waiting room and rest rooms and shopping malls. Apart from this, the stations will will be beautified with local artworks.</li><li>Cleanliness: In order to implement the Swachh Railways mission, the railways has introduced mechanised cleaning system at 488 stations and has started using an automatic rail-mounted machine to keep its tracks at platforms clean. And to keep a check on freelance housekeeping contractors, passengers will be asked to rate the cleanliness based on which the contractor will be paid.</li><li>Increasing rail connectivity: The Prime Minister’s ‘Act East Policy’ has given a much-required boost to the infrastructural development in northeast India. The first priority was to convert the entire North East rail network to a broad gauge system which it aims to do by 2020.</li></ol>

Indian Railways is planning a major overhaul: Here's what's in store

New Delhi, Feb 6 () A parliamentary panel has asked various ministries to develop a robust mechanism in coordination and consultation with the CAG and CGA through which expenditure can be strictly monitored. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in its report titled' Excesses Over Voted Grants And Charged Appropriation (2016-17)' also noted that timely action needs to be taken to ensure that expenditure does not overshoot the limit authorised by Parliament. According to the report, the committee's examination of the four Appropriation Accounts of the Union Government relating to civil, defence, postal services and railways for the financial year 2016-17 revealed that a total excess expenditure of Rs 1,90,270.18 crore was incurred in 12 cases under seven grants/appropriations. The panel said it would like to impress upon the ministries concerned to embark upon all possible prudent and effective measures to contain excess expenditure to the barest minimum and honour the prescribed financial propriety. It asked different ministries to develop a robust mechanism in consultation with the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) through which expenditure can be strictly monitored. The PAC, headed by senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, also said the committee is displeased to note that their repeated cautions to the Ministry of Railways have not been able to eliminate misclassification of expenditure in their accounts. Meanwhile, in another report, the panel said it is dismayed to note that neither the Finance Ministry nor the Ministry of Defence have furnished the findings/recommendations of the high-level committee to curb recurrence of excess expenditure under grants operated by the Ministry of Defence. BKS CS ABM

You Searched For "CAG report on railways" and got 10 results

Explained: What is Kavach? The Railways’ protective armour missing in Odisha

Rounak Jain

What are CAG audit reports and what happens once the reports are published - All you need to know

BI India Bureau

Railways might discontinue giving blankets in some AC trains. Here’s why

BI India Bureau

CAG report impact: Railway food to undergo policy change

BI India Bureau

Railways charging extra for superfast trains that are 95% times delayed

BI India Bureau

CAG just pointed out errors in expenditure worth Rs 53.47 crore in the railways

BI India Bureau

Blankets provided on trains by Indian Railways will soon be fresher and cleaner

Kavita Majumdar

Indian Railways is planning a major overhaul: Here's what's in store

Kavita Majumdar

Par panel suggests steps to monitor expenditure by ministries

PTI

Full transcript of PM Narendra Modi's TV interview

BI India Bureau

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides