Eye on Nirbhaya fund pie,Rlys gears up to better protect women

The Railways plan includes women TTEs,ladies toilets on mail/express trains,long-distance trains with separate coaches for women,‘ladies only’ waiting rooms and toilets at small and suburban stations and better illumination in passenger circulation areas with more CCTVs.

A Finance Ministry note regarding the fund arrived at Rail Bhawan last week and a meeting with other ministries that will get a share will be held soon.

Crime against women on trains and at stations has risen over the years. Official data show there were 210 cases of rape,molestation and misbehavior in 2012 as against 127 cases in 2011. The number was 85 in 2010. Cases of molestation went up from 51 in 2010 to 70 in 2011. In 2012,the number was 119. Rape cases increased from three in 2011 to seven in 2012 and those of misbehaviour from 33 in 2010 to 52 in 2011 and 84 in 2012.

Earlier this year,former Railway Board Chairman Vinay Mittal wrote to zonal general managers expressing concern at the rising crime against women and asked them to take preventive measures.