Mumbai blasts: Rlw property of Rs 88 lakh lost

New Delhi, Aug 25: The provisional cost of damage to Railway property due to the July 11 serial bomb blasts in Mumbai has been estimated at Rs 88,66,239, with rolling stock suffering the brunt of attacks in terms of financial losses, the government informed today.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Railway R. Velu said the damage to the rolling stocks in the attacks had been pegged at Rs 74,55,065 while losses on account of overhead equipment amounted to Rs 9,89,980.

Quoting the preliminary report of the Commissioner of Railway safety, Western Circle, Mr Velu said Signal and Telecommunication losses amounted to Rs 3,48,194 and station premises losses had been estimated at Rs 73,000.

Till August 21, the ministry had received 40 claim applications in respect of those who lost their lives and 17 in case of injured people, he informed.

The minister said an amount of Rs 11.29 crore (Rs 9.30 crore in case of deaths and Rs 1.99 crore in case of injuries) had been disbursed to the victims.

The Railway Ministry had already announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs five lakh to next of kin of each of the deceased, Rs 50,000 to the grievously injured and Rs 10,000 to those with simple in juries.

Replying to another query, he said the Standing Committee on Railways, in its 21st report (2005-06) on Terminal facilities in metropolitan cities, had recommended that only genuine passengers, with the restricted number of accompanying persons, should be allowed at the platforms as was being done in case of airports.

''Efforts are being made to have a consensus view on this subject. No formal decision on this recommendation has yet been taken,'' he informed.

Mr Velu said it had been decided to provide Mobile Train Radio Communication (MTRC) between driver and guard of a running train, station master, field maintenance staff and control office on A, B and C category routes of railways.

''MTRC system would not only enhance safety in train operations but would also help maintenance staff along the railway track,'' he said, pointing out that eight works for provision of MTRC on 3200 km had already been sanctioned on five Zonal Railways -- Eastern, East Central, Northern, North East Frontier and North Central Railways.

UNI

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