PAC criticises Railways over lack of amenities at 177 stations

The Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has severely criticised Indian Railways for failing to provide basic amenities for passengers. The Committee observed that there has been "culpable negligence" in ensuring essential facilities at railway stations.

According to a report by The Hindu, an audit of passenger amenities at 177 railway stations revealed that minimum required facilities were available at only 92 stations (52 per cent). During a two-day PAC meeting that concluded on Wednesday, the Committee Chairman and MP K.C. Venugopal expressed dissatisfaction with the functioning of the Railways. Specifically mentioning the state of Kerala, he stated that despite being among the states contributing the most to railway revenue, it has not been treated fairly by the Railways.

The audit found serious deficiencies in basic amenities. Bio-toilets and urinals were found to be inadequate at 96 per cent of the surveyed stations. Even major stations such as Ernakulam Junction, Ernakulam Town, Thrissur, and Kollam Junction lacked sufficient waiting halls, shelters, and toilet facilities.

Regarding financial management, K.C. Venugopal stated that an amount of ₹11,478 crore allocated under the Passenger Amenities Grant remained unspent over five years. Out of this, approximately ₹6,000 crore remained unutilised in the year 2023-24 alone.

The Committee further pointed out that despite the detection of E. coli bacteria in drinking water at Palakkad railway station, there was a delay in taking corrective measures despite previous directives. Additionally, the PAC has directed the Railways to take effective steps to resolve the problem of stray dogs at stations and ensure basic amenities. The Committee has sought a report on this within three months. In response, the General Manager of Southern Railway assured that the process would be expedited and drinking water facilities would be ensured at all stations within the stipulated timeframe.

The Committee recommended providing as many facilities as possible for devotees at main railway stations during the Sabarimala pilgrimage season. Mr. Venugopal demanded the operation of additional trains to handle the expected rush.

During the meeting, the issue of delay in handing over land details to the Revenue Department for the Alappuzha track-doubling project was also raised. Although the tendering process has begun, the Railways have not yet provided the necessary land details, for which the Committee has ordered the authorities to speed up the process.

Earlier, Mr. Venugopal had demanded that platforms 4 and 5 at Alappuzha railway station be developed as island platforms as part of the track-doubling project. Railway officials stated that this proposal would be considered positively and there is a possibility of developing these two platforms along with the doubling work.