NEW DELHI: The Indian Railways has amassed over Rs 5.13 crore in fines from individuals penalized for spitting and littering on railway premises over the past two financial years, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Rajya Sabha on Friday. The amount was collected from as many as 3, 30,132 offenders caught violating cleanliness norms during the last 2 financial years from across the country, the minister said adding that while the Railways has been diligent in cleaning up areas affected by such behaviour, maintaining cleanliness remains an ongoing challenge. “Cleanliness is a continuous process, and every effort is made to keep railway premises properly maintained and clean,” he said. He added that awareness campaigns are actively in place to educate passengers about the importance of maintaining cleanliness, though specific details about campaigns targeting gutkha consumption are not maintained. Despite the hefty fines imposed, Vaishnaw informed the House in a written reply that there are no current proposals to increase the penalty amounts for spitting and littering. This approach reflects the railway’s focus on enforcing existing rules while ensuring that cleanliness campaigns are effectively communicated to passengers. In addition to its cleanliness initiatives, Indian Railways has significantly enhanced the presence of women in its security forces. The Railway Protection Force (RPF), which now boasts a total strength of 63,051 personnel, includes 5,900 women—making up 9.36% of the force. This percentage is the highest among the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) in India. Vaishnaw shared that a notification has been issued to fill the 4,660 vacant RPF posts, underscoring the commitment to bolster the workforce. He also informed the House that the RPF Posts are operational at more than 750 railway stations with women personnel posted on most of them. To further enhance safety for female passengers, the Indian Railways has implemented the “Meri Saheli” initiative. This program deploys dedicated teams of female RPF personnel to provide security for women travelling alone on long-distance trains. On average, 245 teams, comprising over 700 female RPF officers, are actively engaged in this initiative daily. He said that the RPF maintains a strong presence across more than 750 railway stations, ensuring that women personnel are stationed at most locations to provide increased security and support to passengers. In a specific query pertaining to the number of passengers travelling by railways on a daily basis, he said the total number of people remained around 18.4 million in 2023-24.”During the financial year 2023-24, in the reserved segment, female passengers constituted approximately 36% of total passengers,” he said, adding that the gender-wise data is not available in the unreserved segment.
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