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New Delhi: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw clarified in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that the Railway Ministry has not received any request regarding changing the name of ‘Garib Rath Express’. ( Express) The statement came in response to a question raised by Congress MP from Amritsar Gurjit Singh Aujla.
MP Aujla had questioned whether the government is aware that some passengers feel that the name ‘Garib Rath’ hurts their self-esteem. He also asked whether this name no longer matches the aspirations of the emerging middle class, who are regular passengers of this train.
Mentioned new initiatives of Railways
In response, Railway Minister Vaishnaw said that the main focus of Indian Railways is to provide affordable and high-quality services for all sections. He said that no formal request has been received so far to change the name of Garib Rath.
Vaishnav also mentioned the new initiatives of the Railways, which include modern services like Vande Bharat, Amrit Bharat and Namo Bharat Rapid Rail. He also highlighted the advanced security systems and better passenger facilities available in these trains. It is clear from this answer of the Railway Minister that at present there is no plan to change the name of Garib Rath Express.
Answered on other issues also
In response to another question, the Railway Minister said that the allocation of catering contracts in train clusters has been done in a completely transparent manner. He also said that IRCTC constantly monitors it through a strong monitoring system. This statement came at a time when allegations of corruption in the corporation came to the fore.
Apart from this, while answering another question regarding rail coach factories, Vaishnav said that they are established keeping in view the overall requirement. He assured that the existing and planned production units are sufficient to meet the total requirement of rolling stock in the near future.
