Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged Indian Railways employees to try and change the organisation with "new speeds, progress and new capacity." Inaugurating the three-day brainstorming session Rail Vikas Shivir via video-conferencing, Modi said, "This is a technology-driven industry where innovation is essential. So, the Railways has to be about both gati (speed) and pragati (development)."
Making jibes at past practices, the PM said that earlier rail budgets were all about populist measures aimed at gathering the maximum applause and political agenda. "I could have also gone for more applause. I have taken the courageous decision of keeping myself free from the love of political gains," he said. Remembering his childhood days when he sold tea at a railways station, Modi said, "The century has changed, so the railways should also change. There should be new speed, progress and new capacity," he said. He also underlined the need to make the sector financially strong, which he believes would bring benefits for the country and particularly for those working for the transporter.
The PM visited the event on the concluding day on Sunday.
