GIPE-PUNE-OIIOI2 - DSpace@GIPE

THE RAILWAY INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE OF INDIA
18S
Parties Ownership Management
Government 28,426 71 p.c. 15,867 40 p.c.
Companies 11,285 29 p.c. 23,844 60 p.c.
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Total 39,711 100 p.c. 39,711 100 p.c.
The total capital at charge on the Government-owned
railways was Rs. 7,228,781,000 out of Rs. 8,228,625,000,
the total capital invested in all railways in India.
The proportional relations have been changing every
year because of the annual opening of several hundred
new miles to traffic. The Government's share in ownership
has been steadily on the increase as well as in
management. In 1929 the Burma Railways Co. were
taken over from the company by the Government of
India. The proposal to transfer the Assam-Bengal Railways
from the company to state management in the near
future will likewise further extend the area of Government
administration in the Indian railway world.
It need be recalled that public ownership and
public management of railways are as old in India as
1870-80 and that public ownership was extended tosix
of the eight companies of the old guarantee system
\1859-70) as 8On as the contracts expired. Thus the
Government of India purchased the E.I.R. in 1880, the
E.B.R. in 1884, the N.W.R. in 1885-86, the O.R.R. in
1886, the S.I.R. in 1890 and the G.I.P.R. in 1900.
. In the railwav experience of mankind 8 Great Britain
8 Sarkar: •• Shipping and Railway Policies in Economic Legislation
•• in the Journal 0/ the Bengal National Chamber 0/ Commerce
(Calcutta 1926).