Jagan for safety at all level crossings; hike in ex-gratia

Expressing anguish over the ghastly incident in which a train has rammed into a school bus killing at least 26 students, Ys Jagan Mohan Reddy has appealed to the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Chief Ministers to take immediate steps to prevent recurrence of such incidents and double to ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakhs.

Speaking to reporters after visiting the spot where the school children were killed when the bus in which they were travelling was hit by the Nizamabad-Hyderabad train at Masaipet village near here, the YSRCP President said: “Governments of both the states should ensure that there would be no unmanned level-crossings which would check the recurrence of such incidents.

There were many representations made earlier to have gates at the railway track level crossing but it fell to deaf ears. I appeal to Government s of both the states to see to it there are no unmanned level crossings, he said.

The Railway Ministry and the Central government should also own up responsibility and work for the safety of commuters; he said and added that the ex-gratia should b doubled as the victims were tiny tots aged between 5 and 12 years.

Moved by the ghastly incident, Ys Jagan Mohan Reddy said it is very unfortunate that young lives were nipped in the bud and urged the State and Central Governments to take steps so that such incidents will not recur.