Passenger luggage beyond permissible limit to attract fine: Western Railway
Mumbai (PTI): Days after a stampede at the Bandra Terminus here, the Western Railway has said a penalty will be imposed if the luggage of passengers exceeds the permissible limit for their respective travel class and urged people not to overcrowd stations.
Each passenger is permitted to carry a certain amount of luggage without charge, but items such as scooters and bicycles, as well as consignments exceeding dimensions of 100 cm x 100 cm x 70 cm do not qualify for the free allowance, the WR said in a release on Tuesday.
"Western Railway urges all passengers to avoid overcrowding at stations and to enter premises only as necessary, in accordance with train schedules, while adhering to the established luggage limits," the release stated.
The step has taken to reduce congestion on platforms and facilitate smoother movement for passengers within the station premises, it said.
The Western Railway has appealed to all passengers to follow the rules pertaining to carrying the maximum limit of free luggage.
"The free allowance varies for different classes of travel. If the luggage exceeds the marginal free allowance, a penalty will be charged accordingly," the release said, adding the directive comes into effect immediately and will remain in force till November 8.
A significant rise has been witnessed in parcel bookings during the festive season, particularly at the parcel offices of the Bandra Terminus, Vapi, Valsad, Udhna and Surat, it said.
The WR noted that the volume of parcels kept stacked on platforms for loading in trains causes inconvenience in passenger movement.
Considering the safety and security of passengers, instructions have been issued not to stack the parcel consignments on platforms for a long duration before the scheduled departure of a train, the release said.
On Sunday, 10 persons were injured in a stampede during heavy rush to board the Gorakhpur-bound Antyodaya Express train at the Bandra Terminus in Mumbai.
The Western Railway has already implemented temporary restrictions on the sale of platform tickets at select major stations, effective till November 8.
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Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
