-Sanchita Ghimire
Kathmandu, January 10: With the completion of the construction of the railway between Nepal and India, a bill to manage the rail service has been presented before the parliament. The bill proposes a separate board to initiate necessary activities for operation and management of the rail service.
Finance Minister Dr. Yubaraj Khatiwada presented a rail bill 2076 on behalf of Minister for Physical Infrastructures and Transport at the National Assembly meeting held yesterday. The board will take up the administrative activities being carried by the Rail Company under the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport.
The central office of the board to be located in Kathmandu will have branch offices in different parts of the country as per the need. The board to be formed under the chairmanship of the related minister will have a member secretary who works as a railway administrator as per the bill.
An executive committee of the board formulates railway policy and presents before the board for its approval. In addition to the representatives from various ministries including physical infrastructure, home affairs, and law, the rail board consists of a chartered accountant and two officials, including a woman, having a master’s study on railway.
The board does have a fund. In case of injury to rail passengers in the accident, Rs 100 thousand is provided for treatment on the basis of the degree of injury. Director General at Rail Department, Balaram Mishra, observed that the introduction of the bill on rail service was a positive move for the country’s development.
The board, he said, would also make rail set and expand rail service. The bill has the provision that the rail service can be expanded to other countries with mutual understanding among each other. For anyone to be a rail driver, he/she needs to have at least secondary level education and training from the rail board. RSS
