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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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.
