Patna, July 08: In a rebuff to those seeking his resignation following a spate of train accidents, Railway Minister Nitish Kumar today said he will not quit but take up the challenge of improving rail safety. "The demand for my resignation from some quarters are based on flawed statistics. I am indeed concerned about the train accidents, but it is untrue that the mishaps have increased during my tenure," Kumar told a press conference at Patna railway station.
Ruling out the possibility of his resignation, he said "when I resigned after the Gaisal tragedy, the opposition dubbed it as a political stunt and drama. Since my resignation will provide no solution to the problem, I have decided to continue (as minister) and do my best to ensure a safe journey to millions of passengers who travel by train every day."
While CPI-M had sought Kumar's resignation over the recent Golconda Express tragedy, the RSS in the latest issue of its mouthpiece 'Panchjanya' demanded that he should either improve safety standards or quit.
Asserting that his ministry accorded top priority to passenger safety, Kumar said a string of measures had been taken for repair of old railway bridges, track renewal and improving the signalling systems.
The minister said he had convened a two-day national workshop on railway safety from July 11 in Delhi for a cross section of ground staff like station masters, drivers, gangmen, pointmen, loco inspectors, signalling inspectors and workshop staff to know their views on improving safety standards.
The workshop would also be open to the media, he added.
Bureau Report