Lok Sabha Question No. 77 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-02-24
Subject: Rail Accidents
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB, DEVAJIBHAI GOVINDBHAI FATEPARA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 77 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.02.2016

## RAIL ACCIDENTS

77.    SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB: SHRI DEVJIBHAI G. FATEPARA:

Will the Minister of Railways be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of claims filed by the victims of various rail accidents in  the  Railway  Claims  Tribunal  (RCT)  across  the  country  during each of the last three years and the current year, zone-wise;
- (b) the number of such claims in which RCT has given judgments in favour  of  the  victims  along  with  the  average  time  taken  by  the RCT in such judgments during the said period, zone-wise;
- (c) the amount of compensation declared by the RCT and released by the Railways to such victims so far in said cases;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  received  complaints  regarding inadequate compensation or delay in releasing of compensation from the victims of rail accidents in the country during the said period; and
- (e) if  so,  the  details  thereof,  zone-wise  and  the  reasons  therefor along with the corrective steps taken/being taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

- (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.  77  BY  SHRI  BHARTRUHARI  MAHTAB  AND SHRI  DEVJIBHAI  G.  FATEPARA  TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON 24.02.2016 REGARDING RAIL ACCIDENTS.

(a): The number of claims filed by the victims of various rail accidents in the  Railway  Claims  Tribunal  (RCT)  across  the  country  during  the  last three years including the current year upto 31.01.2016, zone-wise, is as under:

|       | ZONE YEAR Name of Benches                           |   2012-13 |   2013-14 |   2014-15 |   01.04.15 to 31.01.16 |
|-------|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|------------------------|
| NORTH | Delhi*, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Gorakhpur & Ghaziabad. |        32 |        11 |        63 |                     76 |
| EAST  | Kolkata*, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Patna & Ranchi.    |        39 |        13 |         3 |                      3 |
| WEST  | Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Jaipur & Nagpur.         |        30 |         7 |        79 |                     16 |
| SOUTH | Chennai, Bangalore, Secunderabad & Ernakulam        |        88 |        12 |        18 |                     17 |
| Total | Total                                               |       189 |        43 |       163 |                    112 |

*Delhi and Kolkata have two Benches each.

-

- (b):   The number of rail accident claim cases decreed by RCT in favour of victims along with average time taken in disposal of such cases during the  last  three  years  including  the  current  year  upto  31.01.2016,  zonewise, is as under:

| ZONE                                                      | YEAR                                                      | 2012-13                   | 2012-13                                        | 2013-14                   | 2013-14                                        | 2014-15                   | 2014-15                                        | 2015-16 (Upto 31.01.2016)   | 2015-16 (Upto 31.01.2016)                      | Overall Avg. time taken (in days)   |
|-----------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------|------------------------------------------------|---------------------------|------------------------------------------------|---------------------------|------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
| ZONE                                                      | Name of Benches                                           | No. of Acc. cases decreed | Avg. time taken in decreed cases (in days) (A) | No. of Acc. cases decreed | Avg. time taken in decreed cases (in days) (B) | No. of Acc. cases decreed | Avg. time taken in decreed cases (in days) (C) | No. of Acc. cases decreed   | Avg. time taken in decreed cases (in days) (D) | (A+B+C+D) 4                         |
| NORTH Delhi*, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Gorakhpur & Ghaziabad. | NORTH Delhi*, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Gorakhpur & Ghaziabad. | 26                        | 449                                            | 25                        | 664                                            | 20                        | 420                                            | 75                          | 713                                            | 562                                 |
| EAST Kolkata*, Bhubanes- war, Guwahati, Patna & Ranchi.   | EAST Kolkata*, Bhubanes- war, Guwahati, Patna & Ranchi.   | 118                       | 336                                            | 25                        | 205                                            | 11                        | 796                                            | 17                          | 520                                            | 464                                 |
| WEST Mumbai, Ahmedabad , Bhopal, Jaipur & Nagpur.         | WEST Mumbai, Ahmedabad , Bhopal, Jaipur & Nagpur.         | 39                        | 1148                                           | 5                         | 317                                            | 12                        | 249                                            | 82                          | 393                                            | 527                                 |
| SOUTH Chennai, Bangalore, Secundera- bad &                | SOUTH Chennai, Bangalore, Secundera- bad &                | 54                        | 90                                             | 17                        | 201                                            | 28                        | 230                                            | 16                          | 477                                            | 250                                 |
| Total/Average                                             | Total/Average                                             | 237                       | 506**                                          | 72                        | 347**                                          | 71                        | 424**                                          | 190                         | 526**                                          | 451**                               |

*Delhi and Kolkata have two Benches each.

** Total average during the year.

(c):      The  amount  of  compensation  decreed  by  Railway  Claims  Tribunal (RCT)  and  released  by  the  Railways  in  rail  accident  claim  cases  under section 124 of Railway Act, 1989 during the last three years including the current year upto 31.01.2016 is as under:

| Year                    |   Amount decreed by RCT ( ₹ in lakhs) |   Amount released by Railways ( ₹ in lakhs) |
|-------------------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|
| 2012-13                 |                                338.92 |                                     318.848 |
| 2013-14                 |                                149.79 |                                     149.218 |
| 2014-15                 |                                146.82 |                                     127.48  |
| 2015-16 (upto 31.01.16) |                                386.71 |                                     166.697 |
| Total                   |                               1022.24 |                                     762.242 |

(d) & (e)  : Yes, Madam. Thirteen (13) complaints have been received by Central  Railway  from  the  victims  of  rail  accidents  to  enhance  the compensation  amount  and  no  case  has  been  received  for  delay  in releasing of compensation amount. As regards enhancement of compensation amount, it is stated that compensation is paid as per the decree of RCT which is a quasi-judicial body, independent from Railways. So far as corrective steps taken/being taken are concerned, it is stated that Law/Commercial Officer is deputed to observe the day to day work of RCT through Cause-list. All decree holders are requested to submit Bank account details with other relevant documents to facilitate early payment/settlement.

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