Highlights
The opposition, led by Congress protested the move.
The Kalka-Shimla railway track was declared world heritage by UNESCO on July 8, 2008
Solan (Himachal Pradesh): In its bid to complete privatization, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Centre, has added another name to the list of heritage tracks that would be privatized.
Kalka-Shimla, Siliguri-Darjeeling, and Narel-Matheran are some of the tracks which are running in a loss worth Rs 100 crores. Hence, talks are on handing the Kalka-Shimla track to private buyers.
Politics over Privatization
As soon as the announcement was made, the opposition erupted in protests. Congress leaders accused the Centre of inefficiency in managing the loss-making entity. A survey will be conducted by a Delhi-based consultancy firm, after which the tracks would be handed over to private companies.