Lok Sabha Question No. 6250 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-04-12
Subject: Criterion for Passenger Amenities
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: RAJU ALIAS DEVAPPA ANNA SHETTI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.6250 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.04.2017

## CRITERION FOR PASSENGER AMENITIES

†6250.  SHRI RAJU SHETTY:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

(a) the present criteria in respect of providing various passenger amenities at railway stations and trains;

- (b)  the  set  up  in  place  at  railway  stations  and  trains  for  providing passenger amenities/comforts like drinking  water improvement of roads connecting railway stations and for seeing that toilets remain clean;
- (c)  the  amount  provided  during  the  last  three  years  for  the  above purposes, zone-wise and the amount that was utilised;

(d)  the  number  of  complaints  received  by  Railways  during  the  last  five years in respect of default in trains at railway stations and railway trains, zones-wise; and

- (e) the follow up action taken by the Railways on such complaints, zonewise?

ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)

(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 6250 BY SHRI RAJU SHETTY ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 12.04.2017 REGARDING CRITERION FOR PASSENGER AMENITIES (a) & (b): Stations have been categorized in seven categories, namely 'A1, 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E' and 'F' based on the annual earnings from passenger traffic  at  the  stations.  Minimum  essential  amenities  are  provided  at different  stations  as  per  norms  for  each  category  of  station  on  Indian Railways.  Amenities  are  further  augmented  from  time  to  time  based  on growth in the passenger traffic at stations, needs and expectation of the travelling public and availability of funds. Upgradation of passenger amenities in coaches is a continuing endeavour of the Indian Railways. Some of the policy decisions taken in the recent past in this regard are given below:

-  Provision of Water filtration system to provide potable water in Deen Dayalu  coaches  and  Antyodaya  trains,  both  of  which  are  meant  for unreserved travel.
-  Provision  of  bottle  holder  and  snack  table  in  non-air  conditioned Sleeper Class coaches.
-  Provision of dustbins in Non-AC coaches.
-  Provision of Braille signages in coaches.
-  Provision of mugs with chain in Non-AC Coaches.

These and other passenger amenities are provided in coaches in a phased manner based on the availability of capacity and funds.

Provision/augmentation/improvement of amenities including drinking water facility and maintenance of approach roads to the railway stations is  a  continuous  process  and  is  undertaken  as  per  requirement,  inter-se priority and availability of funds. Corrective action is taken for repairs/rectification  whenever  deficiencies  are  brought  to  the  notice either as a result of regular inspections or through public complaints.

(c):  Works  for  provision  of  passenger  amenities  at  railway  stations  are generally  funded  under  Plan  Head  -  'Passenger  Amenities'.  Zone-wise details  of  funds  allocated/spent  under  Plan-head  'Passenger  Amenities' during the last three years are as under:

(` in Crores)

| Zonal                  | 2014           | 2014        | 2015-16        | 2015-16     | 2016-17        | 2016-17                           | 2017-18        | 2017-18   |
|------------------------|----------------|-------------|----------------|-------------|----------------|-----------------------------------|----------------|-----------|
| Railway                | Allotment (RE) | Expenditure | Allotment (RE) | Expenditure | Allotment (RE) | Expenditure (Approx. upto FEB,17) | Allotment (BE) |           |
| Central                | 77.00          | 67.8        | 85.10          | 78.74       | 73.93          | 68.52                             | 94.95          |           |
| Eastern                | 91.42          | 8 70.7      | 67.22          | 62.85       | 51.85          | 35.74                             | 62.24          |           |
| East Central           | 55.17          | 1 44.8      | 82.53          | 63.75       | 52.78          | 61.92                             | 50.25          |           |
| East Coast             | 55.00          | 9 40.5      | 59.66          | 57.46       | 47.78          | 51.29                             | 44.56          |           |
| Northern               | 125.80         | 3 85.4      | 128.30         | 109.33      | 78.15          | 75.27                             | 186.18         |           |
| North Central          | 92.22          | 6 74.9      | 81.46          | 52.62       | 56.87          | 47.59                             | 69.17          |           |
| North Eastern          | 41.96          | 4 22.3      | 55.00          | 71.94       | 107.6          | 101.97                            | 62.92          |           |
| Northeast              | 50.48          | 4 44.7      | 53.17          | 54.09       | 9 50.75        | 32.21                             | 48.99          |           |
| Frontier North Western | 42.18          | 1 35.5      | 60.31          | 66.07       | 53.42          | 54.16                             | 49.41          |           |
| Southern               | 62.58          | 8 69.8      | 107.77         | 95.73       | 61.18          | 65.90                             | 73.96          |           |
| South Central          | 104.24         | 7 77.3      | 101.65         | 94.75       | 64.41          | 59.52                             | 67.77          |           |
| South Eastern          | 56.37          | 3 53.2      | 72.12          | 65.60       | 47.46          | 51.82                             | 47.10          |           |
| South East             | 39.57          | 3 36.1      | 48.71          | 31.39       | 29.55          | 25.92                             | 31.28          |           |
| Central South Western  | 35.82          | 2 31.8      | 69.61          | 60.22       | 42.63          | 38.22                             | 39.59          |           |
| Western                | 58.61          | 8 42.6      | 52.21          | 49.60       | 48.73          | 38.20                             | 117.13         |           |
| West Central           | 49.92          | 5 54.6      | 71.31          | 63.50       | 45.29          | 34.45                             | 42.44          |           |
| Metro Rail             | 11.56          | 5 5.83      | 3.99           | 3.19        | 5.44           | 3.27                              | 12.95          |           |
| Total                  | 1049.91*       | 858.6       | 1200.12        | 1080.83     | 917.91         | 845.97                            | 1100.89        |           |

1

RE - Revised Estimate, BE - Budgetary Estimate

* includes outlay under Extra Budgetary Resources (P)

(d) & (e): Complaints  are  received  from  all  walks  of  life  on  various subjects and necessary corrective measures are taken by the Railways. The Railway wise details of complaints received against lack of various Passenger Amenities at stations are not maintained. However, zone-wise details of complaints received on Indian Railways Complaints

Management  System  (COMS)  portal  for  the  period  from  15.04.2015  to 31.03.2017 and disposal thereof are as under:

| Zonal Railway      |   Complaint Received |   Complaint Disposed |
|--------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
| Central            |                19018 |                18694 |
| Eastern            |                10672 |                10609 |
| East Central       |                13904 |                13637 |
| East Coast         |                 7787 |                 7735 |
| Northern           |                58677 |                57387 |
| North Central      |                13466 |                13210 |
| North Eastern      |                 6164 |                 6098 |
| Northeast Frontier |                 8822 |                 8373 |
| North Western      |                 7849 |                 7781 |
| Southern           |                20166 |                18807 |
| South Central      |                12268 |                12221 |
| South Eastern      |                 7701 |                 7280 |
| South East Central |                 2983 |                 2943 |
| South Western      |                 9222 |                 9033 |
| Western            |                17249 |                16935 |
| West Central       |                 7482 |                 7473 |
| Total              |               223430 |               218216 |

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