Times of India; Saturday, July 30, 2011,
NAGPUR: It is perhaps for the first time that the Nagpur division of Central Railway has officially admitted that its safety category staff is being misused.
The safety category employees from roadside stations in the division, who should be working outdoors ensuring passengers' safety, are indoors.
Information sought by TOI under the RTI Act not only exposes how senior railway officials misuse the machinery but also hide facts even from the media while providing information and are thus making a mockery of the law.
TOI had sought replies on six counts viz. number of operating department staff drawn from roadside depots and stations; stations employed where they were working against which post; whether they are paid admissible allowance and copy of the order.
Chief public information officer ( CPIO)) not only furnished misleading information with the signatures of SK Das, assistant operating manager (AOM) but also delayed it. The registered application was despatched on June 24, 2011. It took 33 days to reach the DRM's office.
To a query, Das furnished information containing names of only 11 employees of whom seven belong to pointsman category. These seven employees from roadside stations have been shown as train clerks (TNCs) at control office. No official orders have been issued to these staffers in material form.
Does it indicate that there are eight vacancies in the TNC category and the safety category staff (pointsmen) are not required at their respective stations for safe train operation?
Senior operating manager (SrDOM) Mukul Kumar, with whose approval the information was supplied, is misleading. It is not only 11 safety category employees. TOI has a list of over 25 pointsmen from roadside stations who are based at Nagpur for years together.
These employees are not paid any admissible allowances. As per rules, these employees are posted at Nagpur from the original place of working and must be paid TA/DA. Most of these employees work in bungalows of officials and perform household cores like washing utensils and clothes.
Among the staff drawn from roadside stations is a young woman who is posted as gateman at Kalmeshwar, but works as a cook with divisional operating manager (DOM). Similarly, assistant station manager ( ASM)) Nirupam Roy from Amla is shown as posted in Nagpur for six months but for the past 10 years he is working here. The information is false and misleading.
TOI has also identified some pointsmen who have retired now but had worked at officials' bungalows throughout their service period. They hardly worked against the assigned posts.
"Railway mishaps are at its peak. How can passenger safety be ensured if such a large number of safety department employees are misutilised for non-railway work," asked a senior safety department official.
The figures given by AOM Das are far less than the actual field staff serving the officers. TOI has decided to take up the matter with railway minister Dinesh Trivedi and vigilance department.
The safety category employees from roadside stations in the division, who should be working outdoors ensuring passengers' safety, are indoors.
Information sought by TOI under the RTI Act not only exposes how senior railway officials misuse the machinery but also hide facts even from the media while providing information and are thus making a mockery of the law.
TOI had sought replies on six counts viz. number of operating department staff drawn from roadside depots and stations; stations employed where they were working against which post; whether they are paid admissible allowance and copy of the order.
Chief public information officer ( CPIO)) not only furnished misleading information with the signatures of SK Das, assistant operating manager (AOM) but also delayed it. The registered application was despatched on June 24, 2011. It took 33 days to reach the DRM's office.
To a query, Das furnished information containing names of only 11 employees of whom seven belong to pointsman category. These seven employees from roadside stations have been shown as train clerks (TNCs) at control office. No official orders have been issued to these staffers in material form.
Does it indicate that there are eight vacancies in the TNC category and the safety category staff (pointsmen) are not required at their respective stations for safe train operation?
Senior operating manager (SrDOM) Mukul Kumar, with whose approval the information was supplied, is misleading. It is not only 11 safety category employees. TOI has a list of over 25 pointsmen from roadside stations who are based at Nagpur for years together.
These employees are not paid any admissible allowances. As per rules, these employees are posted at Nagpur from the original place of working and must be paid TA/DA. Most of these employees work in bungalows of officials and perform household cores like washing utensils and clothes.
Among the staff drawn from roadside stations is a young woman who is posted as gateman at Kalmeshwar, but works as a cook with divisional operating manager (DOM). Similarly, assistant station manager ( ASM)) Nirupam Roy from Amla is shown as posted in Nagpur for six months but for the past 10 years he is working here. The information is false and misleading.
TOI has also identified some pointsmen who have retired now but had worked at officials' bungalows throughout their service period. They hardly worked against the assigned posts.
"Railway mishaps are at its peak. How can passenger safety be ensured if such a large number of safety department employees are misutilised for non-railway work," asked a senior safety department official.
The figures given by AOM Das are far less than the actual field staff serving the officers. TOI has decided to take up the matter with railway minister Dinesh Trivedi and vigilance department.
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