New Delhi, A total of ₹2.01 crore was paid to 33 families whose members either died or got injured in the February 15 stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station, the government informed Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
“In the instant case, an ex gratia of ₹10 lakh to the next of the kin of each deceased, ₹2.50 lakh each to the grievously injured and and ₹1 lakh each to the simple injured has been paid,” Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a written response to a question in Lok Sabha.
The stampede happened at the New Delhi Railway station in the evening of February 15 amid a huge rush of devotees headed to the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.
In his response in Parliament, Vaishnaw did not give the number of the deceased and the injured, but after the incident officials had said the stampede killed 18 people and left 15 injured.
Vaishnaw said a high-level inquiry has been ordered into the incident.
On other questions by members on the stampede and amenities created for devotees during the Maha Kumbh Mela, the railway minister gave a detailed response.
“Infrastructure improvement/augmentation/capacity enhancement works in Prayagraj area of more than ₹5,000 crore have been completed,” he said giving details about the doubling of lines, construction of road under- and over-bridges among others.
According to the railway minister, more than 17,300 trains were operated during the Maha Kumbh period January 13 to February 28 and they carried 4.24 crore passengers.
“This includes more than 3,000 special trains, a significant increase from the 694 trains operated during the 2019 Kumbh. For the first time, Ring Rail services connecting key religious sites like Ayodhya, Varanasi, and Chitrakoot were operated on a daily basis during the Mela,” Vaishnaw said.
He said Prayagraj station underwent major infrastructure improvement including on circulating area, parking spaces, Divyangjan facilities, signages, platform surfacing, construction of drinking water booths, Ashray Kendras, toilets, widening of approach roads, development of second entries and construction of foot over bridges.
Talking about the Yatri Suvidha Kendra, Vaishnaw said that for the first time, such shelters were established at Prayagraj Junction and Prayagraj Chheoki stations, offering essential services such as wheelchairs, luggage trolleys, hotel and taxi bookings, baby milk, and essential medicines.
The minister stated that to avoid delays, ticketing capacity was increased to issue up to 10 lakh tickets per day and a four-stage power backup plan was implemented to ensure continuous supply.
“First Aid booths and medical observation rooms were set up across stations. Additionally, a railway toll-free number was made available for passenger convenience, and a multi-lingual leaflet in 12 languages is being distributed to assist pilgrims,” Vaishnaw.
He added that during Maha Kumbh 2025, 22 trains was reported to be damaged.
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