Report No. 249

70. Railway Companies (Emergency Provisions) Act, Act 51 of 1951

Category: Nationalisation

Recommendation: Repeal

The Act provided for the proper management and administration of railway companies in certain special cases. The Act empowered the Central Government to appoint a certain number of people for managing the affairs of any railway company in case that company prejudicially affects the convenience of the persons using it or causes serious dislocation in any trade or industry using that railway.

Railways in India was nationalised in 1951 and the law relating to railways has now been consolidated in the form of the Railways Act, 1989. There is no evidence of any recent use of this Act. Hence, the Central Government should repeal this Act. This Act has also been recommended for repeal by the PC Jain Commission Report (Appendix A-1) and by the Planning Commission in its letter No. 25/04/2014-OM&C dated 18th September 2014 to the Member Secretary, Law Commission of India.