Vaishnaw denies CCTV shutdown after Delhi stampede, promises fair probe

In his first public response to the New Delhi Railway Station stampede that claimed 18 lives, including five children, last month, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday rejected opposition allegations that CCTV cameras were switched off after the tragedy. He assured Parliament that a fair probe into the incident was underway.

Responding to RJD MP Manoj Jha’s claims during the discussion on The Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Vaishnaw dismissed the charge, stating, “I outrightly reject that CCTV cameras were switched off. I myself have CCTV footage with me. I have seen it.” The Bill was later passed by a voice vote.

The stampede occurred on February 16, leaving over a dozen people injured in addition to the fatalities. Amid the opposition’s demands for accountability, Vaishnaw urged against politicising the tragedy. “Every death is tragic. We should focus on preventing such incidents rather than politicising them,” he said.

Vaishnaw also announced measures aimed at controlling crowds at railway stations, particularly at high-traffic locations. “Following the stampede, we have decided to implement complete access control at 60 railway stations. The idea is to create permanent holding areas to manage surging crowds,” he said, adding that pilot projects have been launched at New Delhi, Anand Vihar, Varanasi and Ghaziabad railway stations.

Going forward, he stated, only passengers with confirmed tickets will be allowed onto platforms and tickets will be issued strictly based on the seating capacity of trains to prevent overcrowding.

Oppn raises concern over railway safety, privatisation

During the discussion, Congress MP Vivek Tankha raised concerns about recurring stampedes, questioning whether similar incidents would happen during festivals. He also reminded the House of past railway ministers who had resigned following major accidents. “Indian Railways needs real updates, not cosmetic changes,” Tankha asserted.

RJD’s Manoj Jha emphasised the need for complete railway electrification, particularly on routes with low traffic, while Samajwadi Party MP Ramji Lal Suman criticised the government over a shortage of railway staff.

“The Railways is facing a staff shortage of 3 lakh employees. The department currently has 12.26 lakh employees, whereas 15 lakh are needed. Instead of filling vacancies, you (the government) are outsourcing roles, which clearly indicates an intent to privatise the railways,” Suman alleged.

Railway revenue, accountability

Punjab MP Sandeep Pathak highlighted the financial strain on Indian Railways, stating that 70 per cent of its revenue is spent on salaries and pensions. He also pointed out the high operating costs for both passenger and freight services.

While supporting the Amendment Bill, Pathak demanded greater investment in technology and capacity building. He also called for accountability from political leaders, saying recent train accidents should not be blamed solely on administrative officials.