New Delhi [India], March 7 (ANI): Weeks after the stampede at New Delhi Ralway station, which claimed 18 persons were killed, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw held a high-level meeting on crowd control at stations on Friday, announcing the decision to create permanent waiting areas outside 60 stations across the country.

'Pilot projects have started at New Delhi, Anand Vihar, Varanasi, Ayodhya and Patna stations,' a release said, adding that passengers would be allowed to go to platforms only when the trains arrive at the platform, which would decongest the stations.

In the meeting, it was decided that passengers without tickets or waiting list tickets would have to wait in the outside 'waiting area' as those with confirmed tickets would be given direct access to the platforms.

Taking inspiration from the arrangements at Mahakumbh, the railways announced that two new designs of 12-metre-wide (40 feet) and six-metre-wide (20 feet) Foot Over Bridge (FOB) have been developed, which would be installed in all the stations.

A large number of cameras will be installed in all stations and adjoining areas for close monitoring.

Moreover, railway staff members would be given new identity cards so that only authorised persons could enter the station.

Importantly, station directors would be empowered to 'control the sale of tickets as per the capacity of the station and the available trains.'

Earlier, the Railway Ministry cancelled all pending department selections on Group C posts that were not finalised and approved before March 4 due to irregularities in the selection process.

The Ministry of Railway announced, 'Due to several irregularities noticed in the departmental selections in the recent past, it has been decided to revisit the departmental selection framework, and all the pending selections/ LDCES/ GDCES (within Group 'C') that have not been finalized and approved by 04.03.2025 may be treated as cancelled.'

'No further selections may be initiated until further orders. Further instructions to regulate the selections will be issued in due course,' the Ministry of Railways said.

The New Delhi railway station stampede, which occurred on February 15, claimed the lives of 18 people, including three children.

A compensation of Rs 10 lakh was announced by Indian Railways for the families of the deceased who lost their lives in the tragic incident. Additionally, the Indian Railways announced a compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh for those seriously injured in the incident and Rs 1 lakh for those with minor injuries. (ANI)