New Delhi, Jul 31 (PTI) Lok Sabha MP N K Premachandran on Wednesday expressed concerns over safety aspects of the Indian Railways and said the budget allocation for these issues is insufficient.
Premchandran, a member of the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), said safety of passengers should be a government priority.
If the government was able to manufacture and install the automatic train-protection system, ‘Kavach’, in almost all the trains, so many lives could have been saved, he said.
“I have serious concerns over the safety aspect of Indian Railways. Last year, we experienced a series of accidents and a high number of casualties,” the Kollam (Kerala) MP said during a discussion on the Demand for Grants for the railways ministry.
“My concern is that the amount earmarked for the safety-related activities is not sufficient to meet the purpose,” he said, accusing the government of not being able to improve the operating ratio of railways.
Maddila Gurumoorthy of the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) demanded resumption of concessions in trains for senior citizens and journalists.
BJP’s Bidyut Baran Mahato said the government has taken a series of measures to modernise the railways.
Mahato alleged that some members were trying to politicise the rail accidents.
Citing certain data, the Jamshedpur MP said the number of derailments in 2013-14 was over 3,600, which came down to 481 in 2023-24. PTI RR RR BHJ BHJ
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