Railway Budget aligned to PM Modi's vision for 'Digital India': MD of UAE Exchange India

Managing Director and Country Head of UAE Exchange India, V. George Antony, has lauded improved focus on technology, customer service, and investments in the Railway Budget while giving courtesy to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for 'Digital India' for the same.

"It is aligned to the vision of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Digital India' initiative. Making most of the internal processes of one of the largest Indian state owned enterprise digital and automated itself is a daunting task. But if it can be done, the government will be able to save a lot on its exchequer," Antony said in a statement.

"There are many areas where the railway ministry is investing in technology in a mammoth way, both to manage the customers and their internal operations. A few of them are listed below. Central paperless asset purchase and approval system based on online bidding, central paperless expense management and approval system. These are all huge changes and the impact of which will come in the long term only and not short term," he added.

Antony further said that foreseen results of the changes could be cost saving, revenue loss reduction, better quality, better transparency, efficiency etc.

"Wifi, radio, TV, hi-tech toilets, announcements, new coaches, new cargo bogies, new rails, increasing the speed of trains etc. are going to bring so much of improvement for the common man and for our country. People will be able to access internet through the mobile phones at railway stations, free of cost, as almost 400 stations have been planned to have free Wifi services. Not only that railway budget has plans to raise e-ticketing capacity making it all more easier for mobile users to book at ease from their mobiles," he added.

Digital India is going to witness a mobile friendly ambience in trains with mobile charging points in general coaches, and Wi-Fi facility. An app to lodge complaints to the railway authorities is also being rolled out. Online booking of wheelchairs, special facilities in the stations and coaches for old and disabled passengers, lower berth quotas for senior citizens are some other potentials of this railway budget.

The Ministry of Railways is also keen on maintaining cleanliness at all places by planning to have the facility of cleaning on demand, clean bed-rolls from automatic laundries, bio-toilets, dustbins in all non-AC coaches etc. This gives a larger hope for a cleaner India with cleaner railway stations which is in linear progression with the 'Swachh Bharat' mission of the PM, he said.