Title - NHRC issues final reminder to railways on unmanned crossings

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a final reminder to the Chairman of the Railway Board to submit its report on the death of civilians at unmanned level crossings in Assam. The apex watchdog of human rights passed this order following the failure of the Railway Board  Chairman to respond to the notice issued by the NHRC on a petition moved by a Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist.The petitioner highlighted the negligence of the railways to convert the unmanned level crossings into manned level crossings. In the instant case, three persons were killed and about 50 injured when a passenger train derailed after hitting an earth-cutting vehicle at an unmanned level crossing in Assam’s Kamrup (rural) district in February this year. Despite the increased number of accidents at unmanned level crossings, the railways is yet to put its act together to eliminate these death traps numbering about 15,000 across the country.There are a total of 32,735 level crossings in the country out of which 14,896 are unmanned. While the railways claims to have launched a massive sensitisation and education drive for road users about the safety rules to be adhered to at the unmanned level crossings, it has failed to yield the desired results as reflected in the accident figures, the petitioner pointed out. He sought a direction from the NHRC to direct the railways to man all the unmanned level crossings or to construct flyovers to prevent fatal accidents and also a direction to the railways to pay compensation to the family members of the deceased.

Since the action taken report of the Railways has not been submitted to the NHRC, it has issued a final reminder to the Chairman and said in its latest order, “The Commission called for a report from the Chairman, Railway Board, New Delhi in this case. The report has not been received within the stipulated time. Issue reminder to the Chairman, Railway Board, New Delhi to submit the report within four weeks positively, failing which the Commission shall be constrained to issue coercive process under Section 13 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.”

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