BHUBANESWAR: Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday said the ministry is open to the idea of insurance coverage for passengers travelling in trains.
“We will study and discuss with insurance companies on the options for insurance coverage to all passengers - both reserved and unreserved - travelling in trains,” he said in an exclusive interview with The New Indian Express here.
Vaishnaw, who was here to attend the launching ceremony of PM Vishwakarma scheme, said IRCTC is already offering insurance cover to passengers who book tickets online. Since only a small section opts for insurance, the ministry can take a fresh look at it, he said.
The matter had assumed significance after the Balasore train mishap which claimed 296 lives and left over 900 injured.
“Insurance can be offered to all passengers with a valid ticket. We will bring this up before the Railway Board so that insurance companies can be called for a comprehensive discussion,” he said.
He also rubbished allegations that Indian Railways is vandalising heritage structures in stations for redevelopment.
“We are not vandalising heritage structures. In fact, the Indian Railways holds a rich heritage and history. Altogether 1,300 railway stations are being redeveloped and modernised under the ‘Amrit Bharat Station Scheme’. The structures which are being redesigned and redeveloped have no heritage value,” he said.
Only four stations - the iconic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Chennai Central, Howrah and Puri are being conserved as heritage stations. They will have their original characteristics with all modern amenities, he said.
Vaishnaw reiterated that safety remains Railway ministry’s top priority. The government has spent Rs 1.78 lakh crore in last nine years on infrastructure that includes safety aspects. There has been a significant drop in the number of accidents in the country. The average number of train accidents has come down from a range of around 200 (179 precisely) a decade back to 45 a year now.
Asked about 5,770 villages in Odisha having no mobile and internet connectivity, he said about Rs 3,200 crore have been sanctioned to the state under the universal service obligation fund for installation of towers.
“But work has been hampered in some remote areas due to delay in possession of land. Our team is in regular contact with the state. I would request the Odisha government to ensure possession of land at the earliest. Once the land is handed over, installation of towers will be completed in six months,” he said.