New Delhi: Opposition members on Thursday charged
the Railway Ministry with neglecting issues like safety and
security of passengers while setting "unrealistic" targets for
completion of various projects.
Participating in a discussion on Appropriation (Railways)
Bill, 2009 in the Rajya Sabha, they also accused the ministry
of neglecting cleanliness in trains.
Initiating the discussion, Gyan Prakash Pilania (BJP) said
that the 'Aam Admi' travelling in trains need good treatment.
Referring to over-crowding in trains, he sought increasing
the number of passenger trains and general bogies in long
distance trains to tackle the problem.
"For a common man, instead of 'Ijjat (a cheap monthly
seasons ticket scheme)', a good treatment is enough," he said.
At the same time, he praised Railway Minister Mamata
Banerjee described her as "an icon of transparent integrity".
Pilania alleged rampant corruption in various offices of
the Railways and asked how many railways employees have been
caught and prosecuted.
He also raised the issue of crime in trains, their late
running and absence of cleanliness in stations and trains.
Expressing serious concern over railway accidents, he
said unmanned crossings are "death traps", an anguish shared
by Ram Prakash (Congress), who suggested involvement of
village Panchayats for manning such crossings.
Tarini Kanta Roy (CPI-M) said the progress of railway's
works in the last two years of the 11th plan is highly
unsatisfactory. "Why set up unrealistic targets that cannot be
achieved," he asked.
Roy cited some examples of non-completion of targeted
works in laying new lines and strengthening old bridges and
said 90,000 posts in sports category are vacant.
Referring to the recent hijack of Delhi-Bhubaneshwar
Rajdhani train on Jharkhand-West Bengal border, he said the
Railway Minister failed to see the faces behind the incident.
Nand Kishore Yadav (SP) and Shriram Pal (BSP) alleged that
Uttar Pradesh has been neglected by the Railways.
K Malaisamy (AIADMK) asked how Railways will cope with
re-imposition of the proposal for 10 per cent service tax on
freight.
He said due to delay in completion of projects, the costs
have increased manifold and feared that fares and freight
might be increased to meet additional requirement of funds.
He wanted to know whether the government has made
allocation for works like repair and strengthening of old
bridges and track doubling.
Malaisamy asked whether the government is thinking of any
alternative about the Western Freight Corridor Plan for which
a glitch has developed regarding the loan from Japan.
P Rajeev (CPI-M) wanted to know why the Indian Railways
Catering and Tourism Corporation had allowed only Pepsi and
Cola to be served in Railways and not indigenous drinks.
"At the same time there has been a sharp decline of 20 per
cent in the workforce resulting in workers remaining on duty
for 16-18 hours a day," he said.
Motilal Vora (Congress) said 338 railway line projects
were pending, including 33 in Uttar Pradesh, 32 in West
Bengal, 22 in Karnataka, 16 in Jharkhand and 13 each in Kerala
and Maharashtra.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, December 17, 2009, 17:56