Taking cognisance of a petition filed by rights activist Sangita Swain over human injury and casualty due to train accidents at unmanned level crossing, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought an action-taken report (ATR) from the Railway Board Chairman within four weeks.
Based on a news published in The Pioneer and an Odia daily on May 25 this year, where at least seven persons were injured and some of them later died in two separate train accidents, one at Gajaambu unmanned level crossing in Athagarh and secondly at Barpali unmanned level crossing in Bargarh district, the petitioner had filed the case on the very next day. The commission passed the order to the Railway Board Chairman on July 26. The petitioner has urged commission to give a compensation of `50 lakh to kin of each of the deceased and also demanded immediate legal action against the person responsible for the mishap and adequate facilities at unmanned level crossings to avoid such mishap in future.