NEW DELHI: Noting that that the compensation offered to the victims of a railway accident has remained static over the last 18 years, a parliamentary panel called for enhancing the amount of compensation payable to the victims.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways headed former railways minister Dinesh Trivedi which was looking into the Railway (Amendment) Bill, 2014 asked to urgently examine the Railway Accidents and Untoward Incidents (Compensation) Amendment Rules, 1997 so as to enhance the amount of compensation payable to the victims.
It further said that the Ministry of Railways should also ensure that all the Zonal Railways should devise appropriate mechanisms for expeditious payment of ex-gratia relief in case of passengers who are hospitalized as a result of train accidents.
The Ministry of Railways in 2012 have revised the amount to Rs 50,000 for death, Rs 25,000 for grievous injury and Rs 5000 for simple injury. After talking to people who appeared before the committee, the Committee has come to note that the compensation offered to the victims of a railway accident has remained static over the last 18 years.
“Notably, the Bombay High in a case had also expressed displeasure over the quantum of compensation paid by the Railways, taking into consideration inflationary trends and the diminishing value of the Rupee,” it observed.
The Committee was also constrained to note that instead of taking effective steps to ensure the safety of passengers and reducing the cases of accidental falling like increased frequency of trains during peak hours and efforts to reduce overcrowding in trains among others, the Railways have proposed the Railway (Amendment) Bill, 2014 that goes against the genuine interests and concerns of the travelling public.
The Committee looked into the aspect of the total number of compensation claims pending in different Benches of the Railway Claims Tribunal (RCT) and was appalled to find that, as on January 31, 2015, as many as 38,637 compensation claims are pending. The overall position of pending cases in respect of Lucknow, Mumbai and Patna Benches is alarming.