New Delhi: Railway Minister Mamata
Banerjee Sunday constituted a three-member panel to probe into
the stampede at the New Delhi Railway station, only to disband
it within hours and replace it with an upgraded committee
consisting of senior officials.
Banerjee, who is in Kolkata, ordered a three-member
committee and instructed officials to ensure that strict
action was taken against those responsible for the stampede.
But, within a couple of hours, the committee was
disbanded and a four-member panel was appointed.
Members of the new panel are S C Ray, Chief Security
Commissioner, Amitabh, Additional Divisional Railway Manager,
Deepak Kashyap, Commercial Manager and Surender Kumar, Chief
Transport Planning Manager.
Railway officials in New Delhi said the earlier
committee, which had officials Arvind Kumar, B K Shukla and
Ratan Chand as its members, was replaced with the new one.
"We are treating it as a serious incident, so the
minister decided to have a more detailed and focused inquiry.
So the new panel with senior officials has been constituted,"
a senior official said.
Earlier in the day, Banerjee said: "We don't know
whether it was a sabotage, negligence or rumour. Whatever it
is, a high-power committee will look into what happened and
who are responsible."
"1.8 crore people travel by Railways in 17,000 trains.
Everywhere there is a summer rush and being a Akshay Tritiya
today so many people go to their villages. Sometimes this can
happen due to rumours," she said.
Banerjee announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to
next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
Railways would also pay Rs 15,000 to those who
suffered minor injuries in the incident, a Railway official
said.
According to Railway officials, a 35-year-old woman
and a young boy were killed and seven others, including three
women, injured in the incident.
The stampede occurred this afternoon at the crowded
New Delhi Railway Station soon after the announcement of
change of platforms of two trains -- Delhi-Muzaffarpur Sapt
Kranti Express and Delhi-Bhagalpur Vikramsila Express.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, May 16, 2010, 22:02