New Delhi, March 10: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Rajya Sabha on Monday that an investigation is ongoing into the stampede that occurred at New Delhi Railway Station, resulting in 18 fatalities. He also rejected the opposition's claims that the CCTV cameras at the scene were turned off during the incident.
"An investigation is underway regarding the New Delhi Railway Station stampede," Vaishnaw stated during his speech in the Rajya Sabha. He further addressed the allegations raised by Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha, who had claimed that the CCTV footage had been intentionally shut off to conceal the truth. Vaishnaw expressed his disappointment, saying, "It was deeply upsetting to hear that I allegedly closed the CCTV cameras to hide the truth. 12 lakh railway employees are working tirelessly day and night. I have personally reviewed the CCTV footage. Such incidents are tragic, and instead of politicizing them, we should focus on taking appropriate measures."
In response to the tragedy, Ashwini Vaishnaw convened a high-level meeting on crowd control at railway stations on Friday. As part of this effort, he announced plans to set up permanent waiting areas at 60 stations nationwide. "Pilot projects have already commenced at New Delhi, Anand Vihar, Varanasi, Ayodhya, and Patna stations," the release stated. The new system will allow passengers access to platforms only when their trains are ready to depart, a move aimed at reducing station congestion.
The stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on February 15 resulted in the loss of 18 lives, including three children. In light of the tragedy, Indian Railways has announced compensation for the victims' families: Rs 10 lakh for those who died, Rs 2.5 lakh for those seriously injured, and Rs 1 lakh for those with minor injuries.
