Indian Railways has made special arrangements at the helpline number 139 to facilitate family members/friends/relatives of deceased persons and passengers stranded in the tragic train accident in Odisha. A team of senior officials operate the 24/7 helpline and will provide all relevant details to callers after coordinating with Zonal Railroads and the state government. This service will continue without interruption and ensure the prompt disbursement of a major ex-gratia announced by the Minister of Railways: Rs.10 Lakh in case of death; Rs 2 Lakh for major injuries and Rs.50,000 for minor injuries.
The purpose of the 139 Railway Assistance Line is to lend a helping hand and provide correct and satisfactory information to the offended passengers and their relatives in this difficult time.
So far, the railways have disbursed Rs. 3.22 crore as ex-gratia in 285 cases (11 cases of death, 50 cases of serious injuries, 224 cases of simple injuries). Indian Railways is paying an ex gratia amount in 7 locations (Soro, Kharagpur, Balasore, Khantapara, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar).
