NJO REACH OUT NEWS LETTER
APRIL 2008 VOLUME 4.4

lThe fourth issue for the year 2008 and thirty-second from inception is in your hands. NJO REACH OUT wishes those NJO staff whose Birthdays and Wedding Anniversaries fall during April 2008.
J J J
THE FIFTH RAILWAY BUDGET:
The presentation of the fifth railway budget by the Minister of Railways Shri Lalu Prasad on 26th February 2008 in the Parliament began with a memorable statement in his opening speech,” we are taking the Indian Railways to unprecedented heights. On this path of progress, 14 lakh rail employees have worked shoulder to shoulder with the passenger as a guiding beacon to write a story of success in which billions have been earned despite reduction in fares. It is for this reason that the Indian Railways has received acclaim world over as a unique mega enterprise”.
During the year, it has been decided to invest a massive Rs 37500 cores. Introduction of 10 new ‘garib rath’ trains, 53 pairs of new trains, extension in services o f16 pairs of trains etc. On the firelight side, the target is fixes ad 850million tones and further modernization of rolling stock, manufacturing o new design wagons of high capacity with new wagon leasing policy/investment scheme/bulk and non-bulk goods terminal, door-to-door logistics services, modernization of Jamalpur, Perambur, Ajmer and Lilluah and new rail coach factory in Kerala are some of the highlights.
Budget highlights:
v Freight loading target: 850 million tones
v Revenues in freight earning :Rs 527020 Crores
v Passenger earnings: Rs 21681 Crores
v Grass traffic receipts : Rs 81901 Crores
v Sleeper class fare down by 5 %
v AC II tier care down by 4 %
v AC I class down by 7 %
v Passenger earnings growth rate 14 %
v Freight earnings growth rate 14 %
Western Railway received the first prize at the national energy conservation award 2007 held at New Delhi. The bureau of energy efficiency has recognized the initiatives taken by Western Railway by awarding it with National Energy Conservation Award for Excellence in Energy Conservation and Management for the year 2007. Western Railway has made commendable efforts in conserving of energy, which include providing energy–cum-speed monitoring system (ESMONS) in all electric locomotives, and 20 EMU rakes (local trains).

The Southern Railway has introduced the suburban train prepaid cards to be slotted into the automatic ticket vending machines installed in prominent suburban stations in Chennai southern suburban system. Though ti has to pick up momentum, the system is very popular in Germany, Australia, Austria, France and other developed countries. The prepaid tickets are to be purchased and they can be periodically charged as the SIM cards for mobile telephones. The card is to be inserted in to the automatic ticket vending machines and select the destination the ticket along with the prepaid card will be returned by the machine.

Transfers
Shri K A Ananthasubramanian SR AFA/S/PER has laid down office to carry out his transfer as DFM/TVC and thereafter to HUBLI/SWR. In his place, Shri P Nagarajan SR AFA has joined. He had earlier worked as AAO/WII/PER. NJO REACHOUT welcomes him and wishes him all the best in his new posting.

Shri V Arumugam SR SO / Co Ordination voluntarily retired from railway service w e f 18th January. A farewell party was organized to felicitate him. Shri M Jeychandren FA&CAO/S&W/PER presided over the function and many staff and officers felicitated him on his unblemished career.

Shri Rajappa Sr ISA HQ/PER voluntarily retired from railway service w e f 1st April. Farewell party was organized to felicitate him. Shri C Hamza FA&CAO/S&W/PER presided over the function and many staff and officers felicitated him on his successful career. NJO REACHOUT wish them all the very best and happy post-SR life.

Obituary
Husband of Smt V Dhanalakshmi Sr So/R&E/S/PER died during February. NJO REACHOUT offers deep condolences on his death to his family. May his soul rest in peace.
Husband of Smt Padmini AA/XLOCOII section during March. NJO REACHOUT offers deep condolences on his death to his family. May his soul rest in peace.

LAUGH AWAY:
Why Gandhiji is laughing always in the rupee note? If he cries the note will get wet
Why did the lion not eat the man who entered the forest?
Because he was lion’s club member

What is the name of Man Mohan Singh’s wife?
Of course Woman Mohan Singh

SHORT STORY: THE PURPOSE OF LIFE
In a small town, there was an old man. He had the distinction of knowing the answer to any question put to him. Some boys wanted to prove that he was not infallible and there could be questions he could not answer. They caught hold of a humming bird - a very small bird in size, which could be concealed in one's closed hand. They would go to the man with one of them concealing the bird in his palm and would ask two questions. The first question was 'What is in my hand'? If the wise man replied that it was a bird, then the second question would be whether it was dead or alive. If the old man replied that it was alive, then the boy would close his palm tightly and the bird would die. The old man's answer would be proved wrong. If he said it was dead, then the boy would simply open the hand and the bird would fly away, proving the answer incorrect. Thus in both ways, the wise man would be proved wrong. They went and met the wise man with the bird in the closed palm of one of them. To The first question asked, the wise man replied that it was a bird. To the second question was asked the wise man gave an unexpected reply. "The answer to the question is in your hands". Thus, his answer would prove to be right in any case and the boys’ attempt to prove the wise man’s shortcomings was defeated. The wise man reply has a universal application. The answer to problems in the world is in our hands. It lies within our power and ability to make the best use of the sources, physical, mental, analytical and financial to get these best results in the tasks entrusted to us.

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