'Foot Massagers, Crockery Used For Drivers' Safety': Govt Refutes Congress's 'Fund Misused' Allegation

Government sources dismissed Congress's claims of fund misuse, stating that the expenses on crockery, furniture, and foot massagers were for train drivers' rooms, considering their long duty hours.

In response to allegations made by the Congress party about the misappropriation of funds designated for railway safety, government sources, as reported by news agency PTI on Saturday, denied the allegations. According to the report, the funds were used to provide basic amenities in the rooms of train drivers, who frequently work long hours. As per an official document, the Indian Railways has allocated over Rs 1 lakh crore to safety measures from 2017-2018 to 2021-2022, with a significant increase in expenditure for track renewal.

The Congress claimed on Friday, citing a 2021 report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), that the central government "misused" funds meant for railway safety on crockery, car rentals, furniture, laptops, and foot massagers.

"This is how funds specifically meant for railway safety were used. This is the CAG's finding," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Twitter, just days after a triple train accident in Odisha's Balasore killed 278 people and injured nearly 1,000.

According to the report, the items mentioned by Congress are used in the rooms of loco-pilots who operate trains.

"They are the most important and critical elements of railway safety." Some people spend long hours in trains, sometimes standing...all day. They are the intended recipients of the foot massagers. "These are not a luxury item for them; they are a necessity that keeps them healthy," one of the sources said.

According to the CAG report, the railways spent Rs 1.48 crore on furniture, utensils, crockery, kitchen/electrical appliances, Rs 0.085 crore on vehicle hiring, and Rs 4.54 crore on street lights, pollution control board fees, foot massagers, and winter jackets, among other things.

These were critical expenditures for the running staff's well-being, the report said. 

Shiv Gopal Mishra, secretary of the All India Railwaymen's Federation, stated, "Our station managers and running staff work day and night, and it's not fair to politicise things bought for their use, such as crockery and foot massagers. Politics over these issues only harms the railways' image," PTI quoted him as saying.