All rail mishap victims to get compensation?

Mumbai: The parliamentary committee on railways is considering granting compensations to all who met with an accident when travelling by train. Currently, there are elaborate, complicated criteria for accessing railway compensations in such cases and Mumbai suburban railway commuters often struggle to pass the muster. The committee is working on the proposal where everyone who meets with an accident while travelling by train would get compensated. A highly placed source from the committee has confirmed the development to The Asian Age.

Every year, around 3,000 people die in accidents involving Mumbai suburban locals and as many get injured. Very few families of the deceased, or the victims themselves, get compensations. There are strict criteria for getting the same in such cases, like if the accident took place while the person was boarding or deboarding a running train, then he or she is not eligible for compensation. A person is also ineligible for compensation if he slipped while travelling on footboard.

Many activists working in railway matters have always objected to such criteria and have been demanding change. However, the railways administration never paid heed. But now, the committee on railways is set to take action on it. Highly placed sources from the committee confirmed that this issue would be taken to its logical conclusion.

“There must be accountability in such accidents. We cannot go on and continue to lose lives in such huge numbers. Inadequate infrastructure is the basic reason behind it. Therefore, compensation is the railways’ responsibility in these cases,” said a member of the committee on condition of anonymity.