Dhaka, Nov 8 (bdnew24.com)--A parliamentary watchdog committee has suggested carving out an independent ministry for Bangladesh Railway to revamp the state operator.
The committee on communications ministry says that former governments cared less about the railway and let it run into losses as customer service was abysmal.
"An independent ministry would make it easier to help the railway to be commercially successful. The customer service will also improve," the
committee chief, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, said after a meeting on Sunday.
The railway is currently operating under the communications ministry.
An independent ministry will allow railway development plans to go straight to the planning ministry for approval. An administrative reform project of the railway financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is currently held up.
The project advisor proposed making the railway an independent ministry or an independent division under the communications ministry. However, the proposal has yet to be cleared by the communications ministry.
Railway officials say they are not being able to properly implement development plans under the current framework.
The continental railway started it journey 142 years back under the British rule. Bangladesh Railway, formed after independence, covers a total distance of1,855km and employs 34,168 people.
Operations were run under the Railway Board until 1982, when it was brought under a department of the communications ministry.
A nine-member committee was formed in 1995 with the communications minister as its chairman to oversee railway operations.
bdnews24.com/krc/mi/rn/bd/1831h.
