Aregime change normally brings new faces. But, some academicians,
economists and theory pro-pounders have survived the UPA1, 2 and NDA regimes.
One such economist is NITI Aayog member Bibek Debroy. An analysis of his
advocacy reveals the forces operating the system, which makes such people
indispensible. Rethink rail electrification: Bibek Debroy redflags the railways
diesel phase-out plan, writing “Several experts have questioned the logic of
100 per cent electrification and have argued that if few countries have done
this, there is a good reason for it. And that includes the need to have a
back-up plan in case of a grid failure-due to sabotage or natural reasons-as
well as the fact that certain routes simply do not have the requisite transport
volumes to justify electrification.” He has been advocating for diesel
locomotives for the last four years since Alstom started its Rs. 40,000 crore
manufacturing project of electric engines in Bihar. If the Railways opt out
from 100 per cent electrification and cancels the order of Alstom and GE, who
is benefitted? Back in 2015, Manoj Sinha, the then Minister of State for
Railways, informed the Lok Sabha that the single largest bulk consumer of
diesel in the country, (Railways) requires about 2.5 billion litres of diesel a
year and has to foot a bill of about Rs. 17,000 crore. “Sinha did not tell the
house that Essar Oil and Reliance had won the rate contract to supply diesel to
the Railways, edging out Indianoil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum.
We leave you draw your own conclusions.
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