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Indian Railways suffered a loss of Rs 259.44 crores due to damage and destruction of its assets in agitations against the Agnipath Scheme, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav told the Rajya Sabha on Friday, reported ANI.
Giving a written reply to a series of questions asked by Congress leader Akhilesh Prasad Singh, the Minister further said, “a separate data regarding the amount of refund granted to passengers due to disruption of rail services on account of public disorder consequent to agitation like those held after launching of Agnipath scheme is not maintained”.
However, Vaishnav said, during the period from “June 14, 2022 to June 30, 2022, a total refund of approximately Rs 102.96 crores was granted on account of cancellation of trains”.
The Minister’s reply came when the Congress MP asked, “Whether it is a fact that an extensive loss of the railway property has taken place on account of the agitations against the implementation of the Agnipath scheme”.
The Minister also said that police and public order are state subjects under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India.
