New Delhi, Jun 7 (PTI) Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at the Narendra Modi government on Saturday over the recent inauguration of the Jammu-Srinagar rail link, saying no glitzy inauguration can compensate for the “chaos” in the Indian Railways.

“Typical of Modi government: the First Announce Second Think (FAST). There is chaos in the management of the Indian Railways which no frequent and glitzy inaugurations can compensate for,” Ramesh said in a post on X, while pointing to media reports on a shortage of specialised officers in the railways.

Railway Board Chairman Satish Kumar had recently said there is an urgent requirement for additional manpower to maintain the railways’ ever-increasing assets and for safe train operations.

He had also urged the finance ministry to give the board the power to create non-gazetted posts in safety and essential categories.

In a letter to Manoj Govil, secretary (expenditure) in the finance ministry, Kumar had said over the last few years, the railways has witnessed a significant increase in capital expenditure — from Rs 1.48 trillion in 2019-20 to Rs 2.62 trillion in 2023-24.

“This capital expenditure is resulting in significant increase in assets for which adequate manpower is required for reliable and safe train operations,” he had said in the letter. PTI SKC RC