GIPE-PUNE-OIIOI2 - DSpace@GIPE

THE RAILWAY INDUSTRY ~p COMMERCE OF INDIA 175-
and 'of Indian manufactures ,of all th~e classes .the_pur-.
chases _amounted to Rs. 151,600,000 only ..
The,lndi~n Stores Department has been functioning
~~~c~ 1922 as a.regular organ of the Government of India.
~nd of all Government-associated departinents for all
public purchases. It is well known that the Department,
has 'been specially instituted or rather reorganized with.
the object of purchasing Indian manufactures and other'
goods for Government and allied purposes. And yet
nearly 57 p.c. of the orders for the railways had to be
placed abroad in 1927-28. Evidently there is much room.
for the promoters of swadeshi industry in India to follow
the new possibilities of markets fOI" iron, steel, engineer-.
ing and electrical goods that lie at their very feet. The
railways have in the past served to promote the industrialization
of India in diverse ways. They are continuing:
to urge for further industrialization. It is time for the:
investors' to respond to the incessant call of railways.
In 1928 there were some 68 different railways in
British India and Indian states and they togetherpossessed
a route-mileage of 39,711.58 miles. This
inileage was distributed according to gauge in the.
following manner:'
1 . Broad (5 feet 6 inches) 19,584'65 miles.
2 Metre (3 feet 3% inches)' 16,254·63 ..
3 Narrow (2 feet 6 inches' or
2. feet) 3,872·27 - ..
•
TOTAL 39,711·58
. The . route-mileage . ,includes •• double line ormore"
. which ·accOunted for 3,555'49 miles. ' For ,single: