2,000 trains were impacted by the Agnipath protests, costing the railways Rs259.44 cr.

• Image Credit: Internet

• Jul 22, 2022 | Sourav Boruah

 Digital Desk: According
to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Indian Railways have lost Rs
259.44 crore as a result of vandalism and destruction to their property caused
by protests against the Agnipath programme of the Centre. This was revealed on
Friday during the ongoing Monsoon session of Parliament.

Vaishnaw stated
that all affected train services that were cancelled due to the Agnipath plan
had been reinstated in a written response to the Upper House.

Large-scale
demonstrations against the freshly implemented Agnipath Scheme took place
across the nation; from Bihar to Telangana, railway properties were vandalised,
set on fire, or otherwise attacked.

Numerous protests
were seen on the worst-affected East Central Railways, which serves Bihar,
Jharkhand, and parts of Uttar Pradesh.

The Agnipath
protests around the nation, according to the railway minister, affected almost
2,000 trains, and 2,132 trains were cancelled between June 15 and June 23 as a
result.

Vaishnaw said
that there is no separate data kept on the number of refunds given to
passengers owing to disruptions in rail service brought on by civil unrest
brought on by protests similar to those conducted when the Agnipath scheme for
armed forces recruitment was launched.

However, he added, "from June 14,
2022, to June 30, 2022, a total refund of about Rs 102.96 crore was given due
to train cancellations, and a loss of Rs 259.44 crore was incurred due to
damage/destruction of railway assets in agitations against Agnipath
project."