AAP MLA criticises govt over negligent approach towards railway safety
New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) criticised the Prime Minister and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for their negligent approach towards railway safety with AAP leader Sanjeev Jha, highlighting the frequency of train accidents, inadequate maintenance of essential equipment, overcrowding, and sanitation issues faced by passengers.
Jha blamed the Central government, particularly the Prime Minister and the Railway minister, for prioritising publicity stunts over strengthening the Indian railways’ safety system.
Jha highlighted CAG reports revealing insufficient maintenance expenditure and budget cuts, exacerbating the situation. In 2020, the government installed train maintenance equipment in only 46 per cent of trains, but it frequently broke down within 100 days, the MLA has sought an audit to assess equipment quality.
The Balasore train accident claimed over 280 lives and brought to light the safety issues in the Indian railways. The AAP MLA expressed disappointment, highlighting its significance and the need to address safety protocols and maintenance. The incident is part of a larger trend, with a significant increase in train accidents over the years, he said.
Jha criticised the Railway minister for falsely claiming the Prime Minister introduced new accident prevention technology when it already existed and emphasised the need to focus on core issues instead of renaming initiatives.
He pointed out the reduced maintenance staff, resulting in a lack of proper track maintenance. He said that in 2022-23, there was a 50 per cent decrease in maintenance staff compared to 2017, despite 70 per cent of train accidents being
attributed to poor track maintenance. Jha questioned the government’s failure to address this issue by recruiting additional personnel.