Absentee railway minister Mamata Banerjee who also heads the Trinamul Congress isn’t willing to take things lying down. Particularly when she faces flak for the spate of rail accidents under her tenure and one MP chooses to describe her as the “minister of accidents” in the Lok Sabha. So there she was in the House on Thursday evening, defending her track record as rail minister and even patting herself on the back for what her ministry has done in the last one year.
The minister was replying to the discussion on the supplementary demand for grants (railways) in the LS. On her frequent absences from the capital for which she has received frequent criticism, Ms Banerjee said, “You can say that I don’t live in Delhi. You can say that politically. But I challenge you and say that what I have done, nobody has done in the last 50 years.”
She maintained that safety and security was something the railways would not compromise on. As for the railways money that will be used for the controversy-ridden Commonwealth games, she said it will be ensured that it’ll be used properly.
Slammed often for spending most of her time in her home state of West Bengal, the minister blamed it on a “conspiracy” against her. “She is not staying in Delhi, it is said. Ask me anything on the railways and I’ll reply,” said the Trinamul chief. She added for good measure, “Not a single file is pending.”
With regard to the major rail accidents that have occurred during her tenure, the minister said, “Politically, ideologically, you can speak....politically you can say things, but can I kill people? It’s unfair to say that. Accidents have declined. It is not correct to say that there are accidents everyday. In this context, she also noted that nearly 17,000 trains run daily and the number of passengers has increased manifold.
Later in her speech while referring to the Gyaneswari Express train mishap followed a few weeks later by the train collision in Sainthia in West Bengal, the minister said, “ People from different parts of the country travel on trains. Politically, I can’t kill people and you (directed at the MPs) can’t kill them. Sometimes, human errors happen.”
At one point in her speech, the railway minister even implored with the members, “Why don’t you understand? I’m trying my best.” Stating that “I have done a lot of work as railway minister” she further said that it was done cutting across party lines. The minister listed her achievements—the preparation of Vision 2020, a White Paper on the railways, a new catering policy, a new recruitment policy among them.
Ms Banerjee also told the members, “The railway minister doesn’t run trains....I can give policy and administrative direction to the ministry.” Adding humbly, “I’m nobody, I’m just working as a clerk.”