BY SUNDEEP POURANIK Bhopal, Oct 10 (IANS) The Indian Railways, which does not exactly hold the reputation for being a profit-making entity has managed to swell its coffers by Rs 35,000 crore, which is more than the annual budget of three northeastern states put together. The Railways managed to make Rs 35,073 crore in 10 years by selling off scrap, including coaches, wagons and rail tracks. A data collected by social activist and senior journalist Jitendra Surana, seeking Right To Information, showed that the amount was even greater than the budget of Sikkim (around 7,000 crore), Mizoram (9,000 crore) and Manipur (13,000 crore) together for the fiscal year 2018-19. Surana who hails from Malwa-Nimar region in Madhya Pradesh, has revealed the Railways figure. The Indian Railways said it earned maximum profit of Rs 4,409 crore by selling scrap in 2011-12. The lowest income of Rs 2,718 crore was in 2016-17. Among scrap, rail tracks were sold the most, and the overall income from selling the tracks in 10 years stood at Rs 11,938 crore.
Railways made Rs 35,073 cr in 10 years by just selling scrap
MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Sept. 7, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Photo taken on Sept. 5, 2019 shows the first cargo train leaving the port city of Hairatan for China in Balkh province, northern Afghanistan. The first cargo train from Afghanistan to China via Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan departed on Thursday, Uzbek state-owned railway company Uzbekistan Railways has said. The official ceremony for the departure of the train was held at the Hairatan railway station in Afghanistan, the Uzbek company said in a statement. The train is loaded with 41 containers of semi-finished stone of mineral talcum powder, according to the company. (Photo by Yaqoub Azorda/Xinhua/IANS)
