Indian Railway Committee (Acworth Committee)

Confidential minutes of evidence taken at Calcutta, Bombay and Delhi between 17 December 1920 and 13 March 1921

The appointment of the Indian Railway Committee, also known as the East India (Railway Committee), was the outcome of discussions on the question of what action was required in connection with the East Indian Railway, a State-owned railway managed by the East Indian Railway Company under a working contract with the Secretary of State for India which terminated in December 1919. As a temporary measure the contract was extended to the end of 1924, and the general questions arising out of the discussions were referred to a representative Committee for consideration. Under it's Terms of Reference the Committee was to consider the methods of management of railways owned by the State, examine the functions, status and constitution of the Railway Board and the system of control exercised by the Government of India over the railway administration, consider arrangements for the financing of railways in India, and evaluate the system of control by Government of rates and fares and the machinery for deciding disputes between railways and traders. The Committee's appointment was announced in Parliament on 1 November 1920 by the Secretary of State for India. It consisted of Sir William M. Acworth (Chairman), Sir Henry P. Burt, Sir Rajendra Nath Mookerjee, Sir Arthur R. Anderson, Sir George C. Godfrey, The Honourable Mr V.S. Srinivasa Sastri, E.H. Hiley, Sir Henry Ledgard, Purshotamdas Thakurdas, and James Tuke. Preliminary and informal evidence was initially taken from officials of the India Office and the London representatives of the Guaranteed Railway Companies by the five members of the Committee resident in England before they departed for India to join the rest of the Committee members. All the Committee members assembled in Calcutta for the first formal meeting held on 17 December 1920. The Committee sat in India for 50 days and examined 142 witnesses. Written statements were also collected, both from those who were orally examined and those who were not. Many of the written statements were in reply to a questionnaire distributed by the Government of India prior to the Committee assembled in India. The Committee visited Calcutta, Madras, Bombay, Lucknow, Cawnpore, Lahore and Delhi. Witnesses from Nagpur and Karachi were examined at Delhi. The Committee reassemble at London on 4 May 1921 to hear further evidence from the London Companies and officials of the India Office. The Committee's Report was signed on 22 August 1921.

Unrestricted

The Report of the Committee can be found in the Parliamentary Papers at IOR/V/4/SESSION 1921 VOL 10 and in the Parliamentary Branch Records at IOR/L/PARL/2/401. The evidence taken in London and India, and the Written statements, can be found at IOR/V/26/720/4-6 and also in IOR/L/PARL/2/401. Other copies of the Confidential Evidence taken in India can be found at IOR/V/26/720/7 and IOR/L/PARL/2/401A. Correspondence regarding payments to Members of the Committee can be found in the Accountant General's Records at IOR/L/AG/29/1/162. More papers on the Indian Railway Committee can be found in the Financial Department Collections at IOR/L/F/7/2298-2304.

Report of the Committee appointed by the Secretary of State for India to enquire into the administration and working of Indian Railways (London: HMSO, 1921)