RAILWAY MINISTER UNVEILS SAFETY
MEASURES
The Union Minister
for Railways Shri Nitish Kumar today announced a Voluntary Retirement
Scheme (VRS) for safety related frontline staff like Train Drivers,
Gangmen and Pointsmen above 50 years. If they decide to take voluntary
retirement, one member each from their family would be employed
in the Railways on compassionate grounds, the Minister said while
delivering the valedictory address at the two-day National Workshop
on Railway Safety. During the Workshop about 200 safety related
frontline staff like Drivers, Gangmen, Pointsmen, Station Masters
etc. participated. In a free and frank and in-depth discussion,
the participants pointed out the difficulties being faced by them
in maintaining safety and the difficulties being faced by them
in their day to day working environment.
Led by Shri Nitish
Kumar, the entire Railway Board as well as representatives of
the five recognized Railway Unions attended the discussion which
the Minister preferred to call the first ever Safety Dialogue
which he said would be extended all over the country.
Amidst applause from
the participants, the Minister announced that the entire Railway
Board would start visiting Workshops and Running Rooms in the
field to see the service conditions of the frontline safety related
staff and take on the spot decisions to improve their working
conditions. This exercise would be started from Mumbai having
two major Zonal Railways from next week, he said adding that it
would help. improve the system and raise morale of the frontline
staff.
Talking of additional
measures for further improving safety, the Minister said that
training institutes in safety areas would get a lift up. He said
for this purpose a small Committee would be constituted to decide
within two months plan for improving conditions for Drivers for
rest and recreation at the railway stations. Besides, he said
line blocks at the railway stations would be kept free for the
maintenance of signalling and other safety related works. If necessary
RailwayTime Table would be amended midway for rescheduling some
of the trains on these sections. The Minister also said that there
would be no compromise with the quality of safety related materials
and if necessary rules would be changed for their procurement
through tenders.
Shri Nitish Kumar
said he had already announced sometime back to fill 20,000 vacancies
of Gangmen who are vital for safety work. The Minister said if
necessary additional posts would also be sanctioned for this purpose.
He said the Gangmen who work under very hard conditions would
be provided with Gum Boots and Rain Coats for improving their
working conditions.
The Minister said
a ten year Corporate Safety Plan covering 2003-2013 had already
been drafted. It would be discussed and finalised after discussions
with the Union representatives at a meeting scheduled for July
14. The final Plan, he said would be presented to Parliament during
its scheduled Monsoon Session beginning this month.
While complementing
the railway men for maintaining the primacy of Indian Railways
as prime movers of people and goods, the Railway Minister said
they have to work together to reverse the situation where the
public has started losing confidence in the system. He said the
Railways are still the safest mode of transport compared to roads
and aviation sectors and the efforts of all of us should be to
win back the confidence of the public. He said the Railways could
not abdicate their duties from running more passenger and goods
trains for meeting the public aspirations and for carrying more
goods traffic as demanded by the expanding national economy. He
said this year 250 additional goods trains were running every
day for transporting more traffic for meeting the goods traffic
target of 540 million tonnes for 2003-2004. During the first three
months of the current financial year more goods have been transported
than targeted, he added.
