Confirmed ticket holders only allowed on platforms at 60 major stations, including B'luru
New Delhi: In a bid to improve crowd control at stations with heavy footfall, Indian Railways has decided that only passengers with confirmed tickets will be allowed to enter platforms at 60 major stations, including Bengaluru.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw chaired a high-level meeting with senior railway officials on Friday, following the stampede at New Delhi railway station last month that claimed 18 lives and left 15 others injured.
"Complete access control will be initiated at the 60 stations. Passengers with confirmed reserve tickets will be given direct access to the platforms. Those without a ticket or with a waiting list ticket will wait in the outside waiting area. All unauthorised entry points at stations will be sealed," the statement said.
A permanent waiting area outside these 60 stations would be constructed. The decision was taken based on previous experience of creating waiting areas at New Delhi, Surat Udhna and Patna railway stations which were able to manage large crowds.
Furthermore, it was decided in the meeting that all major stations will have a senior officer as Station Director. All other departments will report to the Station Director. “The Station Director will get financial empowerment so that he can take on-the-spot decisions for improving the station. The Station Director will be empowered to control the sale of tickets as per capacity of the station and the available trains,” officials said.
Another significant discussion was regarding the construction of wider Foot Over Bridges (FOB). Two new designs — for 12-metre wide (40 feet) and 6-metre wide (20 feet) standard FOBs — have been developed.
Cameras will also be installed in the adjoining areas of the selected stations, while war rooms will be set up at large stations, where officers from all departments will coordinate during times of heavy crowding. Additionally, newly designed uniforms will be issued to staff and service personnel to ensure they can be easily identified in crisis situations.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
