Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw addressed the Lok Sabha on Thursday, sharply criticizing the Opposition for their track record on railway safety and infrastructure during their tenure in power. His remarks came amidst heated parliamentary debates, with Opposition members vociferously protesting against him.
Ashwini Vaishnaw specifically questioned the Congress party’s failure to implement the Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system during their 58 years in power. He remarked, “Those who are shouting here must be asked why they were not able to install ATP in their 58 years of being in power. Today, they dare to raise questions. First, look into what you did during your tenure.”
The minister contrasted the current administration’s achievements with those of the past, recalling that when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was the Railway Minister, even minor declines in accident rates were celebrated. “When Mamata Banerjee was the Railway Minister, she used to give the accident numbers. When the numbers used to fall from 0.24 to 0.19, these people used to clap in the House. Today, when it has decreased from 0.19 to 0.03, they make such accusations. Will this country run in this way?” he asked, emphasizing the significant reduction in accident rates under the NDA’s rule.
Ashwini Vaishnaw also criticized the UPA government for inadequate railway recruitment. He noted that between 2004 and 2014, only 411,000 employees were recruited, while under the NDA government from 2014 to 2024, recruitment numbers reached 502,000. He mentioned the introduction of an annual recruitment calendar in January and the quarterly announcement of vacancies, pointing out that there were currently 40,565 vacancies to be filled.
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The Railway Minister accused the Congress of using social media to amplify minor issues. He cited an incident at the Ayodhya Railway Station, which he claimed the Congress exaggerated. “Are they trying to infuse fear into the hearts of those two crore people who travel every day by Indian Railways?” he questioned.
Vaishnaw took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, for a social media reel about loco pilots. “We are not the ones who make reels, but we work hard, unlike you people who make reels just to show off,” he said. He highlighted the revised working and rest times for loco pilots, which were improved by amending a rule from 2005 to 2016, providing more facilities.
The minister also detailed upgrades for loco pilots, including air-conditioned running rooms and loco cabs, which he claimed were not provided by previous administrations. He assured that the production of approximately 2,500 new general coaches was underway to meet increasing demand and the target of 10,000 coaches would soon be reached.
Vaishnaw added that future train compositions would include a minimum of four general coaches in each mail and express train, maintaining the standard ratio of two-thirds non-AC to one-third AC coaches.
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