Bigger fine for littering to help railways earn more: Official

The increased fine on people seen littering or throwing waste on platforms and tracks would help Indian Railways earn more, besides instilling fear in the minds of the offenders, an official said on Thursday.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday announced a fine of Rs.5,000 on people littering or throwing waste on railway property. Earlier, the penalty was just Rs.500.

Reacting to the NGT order, railways spokesperson Anil Saxena told IANS that the provision of fine against those who litter was already there, but now since the fine amount has been increased, it will help railways earn more and people would restrain from littering out of fear of paying more.

"Last year, we earned Rs.3.87 crore by penalising 3.2 lakh people across the country," he said.

On how the authority was going to implement the order, he said it would be decided later as they were yet to get the order copy.

A bench, headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar passed a slew of directions to railways and other authorities for maintaining cleanliness on railway tracks.