In a surprising revelation, the Ministry of Railways has admitted to not maintaining any records of stone pelting incidents on Vande Bharat trains, which have become a recurring problem on various routes across the Indian Railways network. This disclosure came in response to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by Ajay Bose, a Mumbai-based RTI activist.
Ajay Bose had sought details regarding the number of stone pelting cases reported on Vande Bharat trains across India. However, the Railway Board, a division of the Ministry of Railways, replied that the requested information was scattered among multiple public authorities, including the Government Railway Police (GRP), State Police, and Zonal Railways. The Railway Board advised Bose to submit separate applications to these authorities to obtain the desired information.
RTI Activist Expresses Disappointment With Response
Expressing his disappointment with the response, Ajay Bose stated, "My RTI reply received from Railway Board, Ministry of Railways, reveals that the Railway Board is not maintaining any records of stone pelting incidents on Vande Bharat Trains, which have become a regular feature on various routes across the Indian Railways."
According to Bose, stone pelting incidents on trains, including the prestigious Vande Bharat Express, have been a cause for concern in recent times. These incidents pose a threat to the safety of passengers, and the lack of centralized records makes it difficult to track and address the issue effectively.
"The absence of comprehensive data on stone pelting cases not only hinders the efforts to understand the scale of the problem but also complicates the coordination between different authorities responsible for maintaining law and order on trains" said Ajay Bose.
