New Delhi: In the wake of recent spate in rail mishaps, Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi in Wednesday cracked the whip asking all zonal heads to accord top priority to safety measures even as a large number of safety related posts lie vacant. He said safety of train operations should be accorded paramount importance and advocated zero tolerance towards lack of passenger safety on board trains especially after the recent fire incident in Doon Express.
Addressing a special conference of General Managers of all zones on safety, Trivedi said the Railways has to ensure strict adherence by all those concerned to all necessary safety protocols.
Currently railways is facing about 80,000 safety related vacant posts in various zones which have made the job more tough for zonal railways.
According to sources, some zone heads sought to expedite the process of filling up safety related posts.
Reviewing the entire gamut of safety matters zone wise, Trivedi made it clear that no leniency should be shown to those erring in implementing Railway Board safety norms. Trivedi also said it is important that inquiries into accidents and follow-up actions like fresh safety instructions, remedial measures and punishment to erring railway staff are completed within a fixed time frame.
"So that a strong signal to all railwaymen could be sent that zero tolerance will be shown for such incidents," he said.
The Railway Minister said that recommendations of accident inquiries should be regularly reviewed by GMs along with safety audits conducted by other zonal railway officials.
Trivedi pointed out that the measures adopted should be more technology driven and less dependent on human intervention. He also asked the Railway Board and General Managers to look into the human aspects in case of all ranks and files so that the railwaymen feel well looked after and work hard to maintain the very character of the Indian Railways.
PTI