Vijayawada: The Vijayawada Railway Division of the South Central Railway (SCR) has asked passengers to desist from performing aarti (haarati) as part of puja by burning of camphor and lighting of match sticks/incense sticks etc. inside the coaches, since carrying of inflammable materials and lighting up fire in any form in trains or other railway premises is strictly prohibited.
The railway division issued a Travel Advisory for passengers here on Tuesday stating that such acts pose grave threat to safety and may result in fire hazards endangering human lives and railway property also.
Railway officials cautioned that these activities constitute a punishable offence under Section 67, 154, 164, and 165 of The Railways Act-1989, for which the offender is liable to be punished with an imprisonment up to three years or a fine of Rs 1,000 or both, besides being liable for the loss/injury or damage caused. They stated that intensive checks are being conducted by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the commercial branches to prevent such practices.
