New Delhi: The Centre has made a payment of Rs 51.37 crore as ex-gratia and compensation amount to the next of kin and victims of the Balasore train tragedy, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Rajya Sabha, Friday. The Balasore train accident caused the deaths of 296 passengers and over 1,200 were injured. Vaishnaw’s response came after two BJD MPs – Sulata Deo and Niranjan Bishi – asked if the ex-gratia compensation announced by the Railways for the victims has been paid. “Payment of ex-gratia has been made to the victims of the Balasore train tragedy.
An amount of Rs 51.37 crore has been paid as ex-gratia and compensation to the next of kin/victims of Balasore tragedy,” Vaishnaw said in a written reply. The accident took place June 2 when the Coromandel Express crashed into a stationary freight train near Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore and some of its derailed coaches fell onto the adjacent tracks and collided with the oncoming YeshwantpurHowrah Express. The independent inquiry report submitted by the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) to the Railway Board said notwithstanding the lapses in signalling work, remedial actions could have been taken by signalling and telecommunication staff if ‘repeated unusual behaviour’ of switches connecting two parallel tracks were reported to them by the station manager of Bahanaga Bazar. The matter is also under probe by the CBI.