‘Nothing is more important than the common man’s safety and security’: SC flags concern over insufficient Railways’ budgetary allocation

After perusing the affidavit filed by the Railways, the court said it “indicates that the largest chunk used of the Budget allocation is for investment in PSUs/JV/SPVs, which in the tentative view of the Court is absolutely unacceptable.”

“Nothing is more important than the safety and security of the common man, who travels and reposes trust in the Railways, and the Railways is not an organisation to make investment elsewhere. We expect that the authorities concerned would be more pragmatic and ensure that a substantial amount of the Budget allocation is invested for the betterment of the Railways directly into the infrastructure, and among such, safety and security take priority,” the bench said.

Two key aspects had arisen during the hearing of the matter. First was taking care of unmanned crossings and the construction of railway over- and under-bridges, and ‘Kavach’, the automatic/automated safety system installed on rail tracks to prevent untoward incidents caused by human error.

The second was an insurance facility/option for passengers, limited to online purchases and not available over the counter.

Stating that it is in favour of extending insurance to all passengers travelling by Railways, the court has now asked the Railways to revisit this. The court also asked the chief commissioner of Railway Safety to present before it, on the next date of hearing, further practical suggestions that can be implemented straightaway.

The bench will hear it next on February 17.