The Railway Ministry announced a significant increase in the financial powers granted to general managers and divisional managers to accelerate the implementation of infrastructure projects.

According to a circular issued by the Railway Board, the proposal to revise the powers of field units for project approval had been under consideration for some time. In order to expedite the execution of Railway Projects, the Board has now decided to augment the authority of GMs (general managers) and DRMs (divisional railway managers) for project approval.

Following this delegation of powers, GMs from various railway zones are now authorized to approve infrastructure projects such as yard remodelling, track renewal, bridge and tunnel work, etc., valued up to Rs 500 million. This represents a twentyfold increase from their previous approval limit of Rs 20.5 million.

Additionally, financial powers for various other endeavours including research, computerisation, staff welfare, and customer amenities have been enhanced. For instance, concerning customer amenities, GMs are now empowered to allocate up to Rs 200 million, a significant rise from the previous authorization of Rs 20.5 million, the circular mentioned.

Likewise, DRMs, who previously had the authority to approve infrastructure projects worth Rs 10.5 million, are now authorized to sanction projects worth Rs 50 million.

Senior railway officials hailed this as a significant step that would expedite various projects that had previously faced delays due to the need for approval from the Railway Board.