BJP Govt 'Derailing' Railways: Congress MP Surjewala Hits Out At Modi Govt Over Stations Revamp Project
In a lengthy tweet, Surjewala accused the Prime Minister of focusing on "green flag" events to project a false image, while neglecting the critical aspect of ensuring safe and reliable rail travel.
Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala took to Twitter on Sunday to voice his criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government's handling of the railway sector. In a lengthy tweet, Surjewala accused the Prime Minister of focusing on "green flag" events to project a false image, while neglecting the critical aspect of ensuring safe and reliable rail travel. He highlighted the concerning number of vacant posts in the railways and the recent tragic train accident in Balasore, Odisha, as indicators of the current challenges faced by the Indian Railways.
On the same day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the ambitious Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, which aims to renovate 508 railway stations across India. This massive project is expected to cost Rs 24,470 crore.
"According to information provided to Parliament by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav in December-2022, a total of 3.12 lakh posts in the Railways are vacant! Due to a severe shortage of personnel directly related to security and train operations, train travel is entirely dependent on God! "The wounds of the horrific train accident that occurred in Balasore, Odisha on 02 June 2023 are still not healed!" his tweet in Hindi read.
The Congress leader criticised the government's decision to eliminate train ticket concessions, claiming that it had made train travel more difficult, particularly for the elderly. Despite the government spending Rs 8,000 crore on railways in the last four years, Surjewala raised concerns about rising debts and apparent railway neglect.
Responding to these concerns, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw clarified during a press conference that there would be no fare hike in the name of the station redevelopment project. The main objective of the redevelopment is to create world-class stations without burdening the common people with increased fares or additional fees.
The 508 identified for redevelopment railway stations are spread across 16 states and union territories, with significant clusters in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Maharashtra, and West Bengal, among others. The project's goal is to modernise and improve passenger amenities, indicating a commitment to providing better travel experiences for railway passengers across the country.
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