(a) whether the Railways have decided to impose a penalty on persons found
guilty of littering in railway premises;
(b) whether the Railways propose to impose similar penalty on passengers
littering in train compartments as well;
(c) if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether the adequate steps are being taken to keep the premises and coaches
of railway clean and hygienic;and
(e) if so, the details thereof and the manner in which this decision is to be implemented?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI ADHIR RANJAN CHOWDHURY)
(a) to (c) Yes, Madam. Rules under the Railways Act 1989 have been notified under a
Gazette Notification to penalize persons affecting cleanliness & hygiene at railway
premises including trains and stations, with fines not exceeding Rs. 500/-. The
purpose of levying fines is to reduce the activities affecting cleanliness & hygiene
at railway premises.
(d) & (e) Indian Railways take multi-pronged action by synergising technology and
provision of mechanized equipments to improve the standard of cleanliness at railway
stations. The measures taken include introduction of mechanized cleaning process,
award of rag picking/garbage disposal contracts and introduction of ‘pay & use’ toilet
scheme. For improving upon the standards of cleanliness in coaches, schemes like Intensive
mechanized cleaning in maintenance depots, On Board House-Keeping Service (OBHS) for
cleaning of coaches on run and cleaning attention to trains during their stoppage at
“Clean Train Stations†etc. have also been launched. Inspections by various officials
at the railway stations and in the coaches are also conducted to monitor cleanliness
and take remedial measures. Wide publicity is given to educate the users by advertisements
through print and electronic media and announcements via public address system.