New Delhi: Against the backdrop of yet
another Naxal attack on a train in Jharkhand last night,
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said she will take up
the issue of railway safety with Home Minister P Chidambaram.
"We will take up the issue with the Union Home
Minister. Every day there are kidnappings, obstructions and
bomb blasts (taking place). This issue has to be resolved
through talks," she told reporters outside Parliament house.
Eight bogies of the Tata-Bilaspur passenger train
derailed last night after Maoists blew up railway tracks in
Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district.
Banerjee also said that Railway property should not be
damaged as the railways cater to lakhs of people every day.
Asked why the Railway Ministry itself is not providing
protection to trains, she said security and law and order was
a state subject.
"The Railway Protection Force (RPF) cannot even file
an FIR. We have Government Railway Police for the purpose. We
provide 50 percent of their salaries and balance is provided
by the state governments," she said.
On whether it was failure on part of the state
governments in providing security to the trains, Banerjee
said: "I did not say that".
Banerjee said prima facie evidence suggested that,
last night's attack was carried out by Naxals.
The Railway Minister said earlier it was feared that
two people had died in the attack but it has now been found
that one of them is alive. She said condition of three of the
injured is stated to be critical.
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, November 20, 2009, 12:58