DMK member Kanimozhi on Thursday took potshots at the Modi government, saying that it was shameful that manual scavengers were still employed in Railways.
During the debate on Demands for Grants for Railways for 2019-20, Trinamool Congress floor leader in the Lok Sabha Sudip Bandyopadhyay said bullet train concept is not possible in India and it was a “hoax” and a false promise of the government.
DMK lawmaker Kanimozhi however, said,’It is not important if we have bullet trains, what we have to be ashamed of is that the railways still employ manual scavengers’.
The government has said railways do not employ manual scavengers directly, she said, but it was done through contractual labour. It is shameful for the nation to continue with such a practice, she added. She also showed her displeasure over nomenclature of projects only in Hindi and not in English or Tamil.
Kanimozhi said there has been a decrease in the number of passengers as well as freight traffic. There has been loss of of Rs 6.10 crore annually as there was decrease in the number of passengers in trains and and she alleged that this government, thinks that privatisation is the only solution to all problems.
Bandyopadhyay said Bullet trains can be called as high-speed trains. “It is a hoax and a false promise,” he said, adding bullet trains have a separate structure. “It is bogus on Indian soil,” said Bandyopadhyay, who was chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways.
He said the government has talked about speed, security and service, but never fulfilled its promises. The Trinamool Congress leader said some recommendations for improving services, made by Parliamentary panel were implemented but several others were ignored.
Security in Railways should be improved, he emphasised and said services and quality of food in canteens and restaurants of railways should also be improved. He expressed concern over continued vacant slots among drivers and gangmen.
