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New Delhi, Oct 19 (IANS) In view of the huge rush in trains ahead of Diwali and Chhath, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav on Sunday visited the Anand Vihar Terminal in the national capital to review passenger arrangements and interact with officials and passengers, while also urging civil society and opposition parties not to spread any rumors on social media on overcrowding and mismanagement.
As lakhs of people travel to their hometowns during the festive season, the Railway Minister said Indian Railways has made “special arrangements” to handle the surge and ensure safe, comfortable travel.
Addressing reporters after the ground inspection, Vaishnav said, “Every year during Diwali and Chhath, a large number of passengers travel to their native places. This time too, a huge increase in passengers is being seen at the major terminals of the country. To manage this, around 12,000 additional train services have been operated.”
He also interacted with several passengers at the terminal, who reportedly appreciated the arrangements.
Railway Board Chairman and CEO Satish Kumar, Delhi Division DRM Pushpesh R. Tripathi, Northern Railway GM Ashok Verma and ASC Chetan Jichkar were also present during the inspection.
Verma briefed the media about a dedicated “war room” mechanism.
“Control rooms have been set up at every major station to monitor train movements in real time. Decisions regarding platform allocation and departure clearance are being taken immediately to avoid crowd gathering,” he said.
On security arrangements, Jichkar said that more than 600 personnel including RPF, RPSF, Corps Commando and Dog Squad have been deployed to maintain strict surveillance and crowd control.
A special holding area has been created outside Anand Vihar station, where passengers can wait comfortably before boarding.
The Railway Minister personally inspected the station premises, mini control room and CCTV surveillance setup to assess the preparedness.
The minister also rejected reports doing the rounds on social media about overcrowding and mismanagement and urged civil society and political parties, especially the opposition, not to create any rumours.
He said, “Some misleading and old videos are being circulated to create confusion. I request everyone to avoid spreading such misinformation. The situation is completely under control and all passengers are being managed in an orderly manner.”
The minister also greeted the 12 lakh railway employees working round the clock and wished the passengers a safe journey home for the festivities.
–IANS
SAS/VD