Lok Sabha MP N.K. Premachandran voiced serious concerns about railway safety on Wednesday (July 31), criticising the government’s budget allocation for safety-related activities as inadequate.
Premachandran, representing the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), emphasised that passenger safety should be a top priority. He suggested that had the government implemented the automatic train protection system ‘Kavach’ across all trains, many lives could have been saved.
‘Serious concerns over safety’
During a discussion on the Demand for Grants for the railways ministry, the Kollam (Kerala) MP said, “I have serious concerns over the safety aspect of Indian Railways. Last year, we experienced a series of accidents and a high number of casualties.”
“The budget allocated for safety is insufficient and fails to address the issue effectively,” he added, accusing the government of not improving the railways’ operational ratio.
Resumption of concessions for senior citizens, journalists
In response, Maddila Gurumoorthy of the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) called for the reinstatement of train concessions for senior citizens and journalists.
BJP’s Bidyut Baran Mahato defended the government’s efforts, stating that significant modernisation measures have been taken.
He also accused some members of attempting to politicise rail accidents, noting that derailments had decreased from over 3,600 in 2013-14 to 481 in 2023-24, according to available data.