The opposition once again attacked the government led by Narendra Modi on the frequent accidents occurring due to old railway management.
Yesterday, around 22 people lost their lives and more than 30 were injured in a stampede on a foot overbridge at the Elphinstone station. Following the incident, Congress Spokesperson and Lok Sabha MP Sushmita Dev on Friday advised the Prime Minister to focus on improving the conditions of the railway tracks and platforms rather than changing the Railway Ministers.
During the last month, there were at least 6 derailment accidents in only a weeks time. The former railway minister Suresh Prabhu, taking the responsibilities of the accidents, gave his resignation, though it was not accepted. However, he was replaced by Piyush Goyal when the Modi cabinet underwent a reshuffle a few days back. Though changing the minister did not help much because even after Goyal assumed office there as many as three derailments in a single day.
Though no serious injuries were reported but, this clearly shows that is is not the minister that need to be changed, but the years-old tracks and railways are what needs the attention. Sushmita Dev accused the Central government of “criminal negligence” due to which 22 people lost their lives on 29 Sep at a local railway station in Mumbai.
“We would like to tell the Prime Minister that you can’t placate the public by just changing railway ministers. If you have to change anything, change the railways’ face,” she said.
She also pointed out that the platform ticket prices were hiked from Rs 10 to Rs 20 on the ground of the festival season, however, no extra efforts were done to take care of the safety of the increasing crowd. She further added that in 2015 Central Railway had also accepted that the footbridge linking Parel and Elphinstone Road stations was ‘structurally weak’. The administration had also decided that as a temporary measure the footfall will be redirected to the other bridge that connects Dadar to Parel by extending it to the eastern end of Parel, but this was only in talks and not in actions. “But due to slow progress of work and criminal negligence of the railway authorities, no concrete action was taken,” she added.
Dev said that the passengers had time and again complained about the safety of the heritage overbridge and many had also predicted that such a tragedy might happen that took place on 29 Sep killing 22 people.
The government as always not taking actions to prevent any accidents came up for giving sympathy and announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the families of the victims of the tragic accident. The opposition, objecting this decision of the government said that a judicial inquiry should be set for the accident and the compensation amount should be raised to Rs 50 lakh from Rs 5 lakh.
Congress also demanded that the next of the kin of the victims should be given posts in the railway safety department. “There are 1.42 lakh vacant posts in the railway safety department. The next of kin of railway accident victims should be given those jobs so that their kitchens keep running,” she said.
The government needs to understand that the railway systems needs attention and investment which is being delayed for decades. The railway tracks are least 50-60 years old or even more, those needs to be replaced and renovated. The railway platforms and specially the overbridges needs immediat renovations, so that such icidents that happened yeterday can be avioded and the lives of the normal man is not sacrifised.
Modi government should understand that instead of taking loans from foriegn countries and investing on projects like the bullet trains, it should concentrate on renovating and improving the safety and scurity of the existing railway system.
Meanwhile Piyush Goyal said that the Indian Railways (IR) is doing everything to address the situation, but hadeling the vast sread rilaway network is not an easy task. Talking about the railway system in Mumbai suburban, he said that IR is doing its best to cope up with the expansion demand for movement resulting from expansion of the central business district in the south, rather than dispersing across all areas. He also said that this has even forsced the people to travel north to south.
Trying to fulfill the demands of the growing railway traffic, the IR also spread new lines, most of the routes have four lines and some even have six lines. But since there is lack of land to fit in room for more tracks it is getting difficult to tackle the incresing traffic.
Further illustrating the problems faced by the IR department he said that, currently, already 2000 trains are running daily carrying around 7 million passengers everyday with a a 3-minute gap between trains. In such situations adding more trains or tracks can counter attack by increasing the commotion and risk to safety rather than decreasing it.
Underlining the reality of the locals running in the suburban aress of Mumbai, the railway department said that despite of as many as 2000 trains running daily, the traffic is so much that coaches are carrying nearly 16 persons per square metre, which is just not possible without people hanging from the coaches and falling off.
The former Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu while addresiing the issue of the foot overbrodge, brought up by a an MP requesting replacement had said that there are not enough funds for it. Prabhu had said that the ministry is aware that nearly 20 people loose there life every day while crossing the tracks or falling off from the train. He added that the platforms incuding the foot overbridge, surey needs revamping and reconstruction, but there is no money to replace or build new infrasturture.
The major problem that is faced by the railway department is that even they are a victim of the policies thrust on them by the government. Also, these policies are not well coordinated land development with transport creation. It is practically not possible for the department to cope up with the increasing demand of the transportation without the capital provided, that is required to improve the present situations and system.
The problem needs to be addressed immediately and new policies should be made in accordance with the railway act, but this is not on the course for the time being and the issue remains unsolved.
The problem can not be overcome by merely the efforts of the Indian Railway Department, but it also needs sincere dedication and commitment of the political parties to develop the best investment plans.
As per the views of the experts, the IR is doing its best but the problem of lack of money will have to be addressed. With the recent accident now the Railway Minister Piyush Goyal is in a position that it can demand the immediate attention of the Modi government. The only way to solve this problem possibly is getting highest political support to coordinate land development and provision of transport of all types and also to arrange for the required fund to revamp the age old railway system.
It is now solely upon Piyush Goyal to prove his skills by accepting the challenge of finding a to fulfil the increasing demands and also to convince the central government to provide the necessary support and fund, whenever required, rest the railway department is capable enough to implement and improve the existing conditions of the railways in India.
It also depends on the Modi government to decide whether to invest on bringing in bullet trains in India or improve the existing system.