Railway Standing committee at Chennai

Railway panel discusses women safety

By Express News Service - CHENNAI

19th November 2013 

Representatives of various rail commuter associations and NGOs petitioned for increased security for women passengers in suburban trains on Saturday. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways, under the chairmanship of T R Baalu, held informal discussions with the Southern Railway and the general public to hear their views and grievances.

Over 75 people from NGOs and commuter associations participated in the meeting and aired their grievances. “The people mostly complained about chain snatching incidents, eve-teasing and security lapses in the suburban trains,” said a railway official. He also added that earlier in the day, officials interacted with women passengers in four stations between Tambaram and Nungambakkam.
Apart from issues faced by women, the participants also requested improved amenities like trolleys for the disabled, timely announcements and proper rain-water drainage system in stations.
TR Baalu refused to comment on the discussion and said that a report will soon be submitted in Parliament. Members of the Standing Committee, and Rajya Sabha MPs Nandi Yellaiah and Hussain Dalwai, were also present during the discussions.
The committee is examining the subject ‘Suburban Train Services of Indian Railways, with particular emphasis on security of women passengers’. In this connection, the committee is holding informal discussions in Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai.