Pink Book - Discontinuation

 Pink Book - Discontinuation 

The Indian Railways has decided to discontinue the publication of the traditional "Pink Book" and will instead issue comprehensive, zone-wise budget documents.

Key Points:

• The Ministry of Railways has ceased the publication of the annual 'Pink Book,' which traditionally detailed budgetary allocations for various zonal railways and production units.

• In place of the Pink Book, the Railways will now prepare comprehensive budget documents tailored for each Zonal Railway and Production Unit. These documents will incorporate details of earnings, working expenses, capital expenditure, and lists of works.

• Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed this shift in Parliament, stating that the work of preparing these new documents has already begun.

• The Pink Book served as a guide for fund allocation across railway zones, including specifics on spending for safety-related works, maintenance, infrastructure development, doubling of lines, and new projects.

• There has been a delay in the release of the new zone-wise budget documents, which has affected project planning in certain regions such as Southern Railway.

History of the Pink Book in Indian Railways

• The Pink Book has historically been an annual publication released by the Ministry of Railways after the Union Budget.

• It provided detailed budgetary allocations for Zonal Railways, Production Units, and Railway Board-sanctioned works.

• It listed sanctioned projects under heads like New Lines, Doubling, Gauge Conversion, Electrification, Passenger Amenities, Safety Works, and Rolling Stock Procurement.

• It was called the 'Pink Book' due to the color of its cover, following a government budgeting color-code tradition.

• Used widely by officials from Board level to divisions for planning, monitoring, and implementation of works.

• After the 2017 merger of the Railway Budget with the Union Budget, the Pink Book’s central role was re-evaluated.

• The discontinuation marks a shift towards decentralized planning with each zone getting a tailor-made budget document.

Pink Book, LAW Book & LSWP - Differences

Differences among 

 

Item	Pink Book	LAW Book	LSWP / Mini LAW
Works	Itemized works / Umbrella Works	Sub Umbrella & Works beyond GM Powers	Lumpsum Works Program
Cost	More than Rs. 50 Crores	Less than Rs. 50 Crores	Less than Rs. 50 Crores as per the revised delegation
Sanction by	CCEA, MOR, RB	RB and GM	GM & DRM

 

Pink book:

• Containing Itemised works & Umbrella costing more than Rs 50 Crores - FWP, M&P, and RSP.

• Unique number is given every year till the work is completed.

• Itemised works - Abstract Cost, Funds allotted, expenditure incurred so far, Funds allotted during the year and Balance Outlay available in the Pink Book. 

• Once the annual Budget is passed, the 'Pink Book' becomes the authority to start preliminary works related to the project.

• Commencing Works - After the sanction of Detailed Estimates only. 

• Physical and Financial progress of works - Monitored through  IRPSM - Indian Railways Projects Sanction & Management.

LAW book: 

 

The List of Approved works shall include the following works

• All Sub Umbrella works whether sanctioned by GM or RB
• All Lumpsum Works sanctioned by RB which beyond GM’s Powers but costing less than Rs.50 Crores
• All M&P items costing between Rs.10 Crore and Rs.50 Crore
• All details about cost of the work, expenditure so far incurred, outlay of the year, and balance will be available in the LAW book.

 

LSWP or Mini LAW

• LSWP stands for Lumpsum Works Program. Also called as Mini LAW (List of Approved Works)

• At Divisional Level.

• Within the prescribed ceiling limits in that particular year. 

• Subject to the funds availability in that particular year. 

 

• Should be completed in the period as per the norms. 

 

• This list of works prepared at divisional level is called lump sum works program (LSWP) or DRM's Mini LAW (list of approved works) book.

• Administrative approval shall be obtained by the Sr.DEN/Co-ordination. Sr.DEN/Coordination shall be responsible for the publication of the DRM’s LSWP or MINI LAW BOOK.

• Should not be more than the PC (Permissible Cost) available to the DRM under a particular Plan Head
• Any item of work that features in the MINI LAW BOOK for 2 years or more without sanction of the detailed estimate must be dropped from the same..

Key points for MCQ

1.    LAW stands for List of Approved Works 

2.    LSWP stands for Lumpsum Works Program 

3.    LSWP also called as Mini LAW

4.    RB stands for Railway Board

5.    MOR stands for Minister Of Railways 

6.    CCEA stands for Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs

7.    Pink Book  - More than Rs. 50 Crores 

8.    LAW & LSWP  - Less than Rs. 50 Crores

9.    Sanction by: 

·        Pink Book works  -  By CCEA, MOR, RB

·        LAW - Railway Board & GM 

·        LSWP - GM, DRM

10.          Monitoring the works - through IRPSM 

11.          IRPSM stands for Indian Railways Projects Sanctioning & Management

12.          LSWP - Should be completed in the period as per the Norms. 

13.          Coordinator for LSWP - Sr.DEN/Co-ordination. 

14.          LSWP - Should not be more than PC under the relevant Plan Head at Divisional Level.

15.          PC =  C x N - TF 

16.          PC stands for Permissible Cost  

17.          C stands for Ceiling, N stands for Norms & TF stands for Through Forward 

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