Safety of Railways-Who will bear the cross?

Minister and CRB have failed to enforce basic rotation, which is their fundamental duty

Your continued lack of action on officers close to your advisor has caused people to laugh at your threats

When the Vande Bharat team was destroyed under your watch, your protection of the racketeers becomes understandable

भारतीय रेल में बढ़ती दुर्घटनाओं कि चलते हमने रेलवे के चार जोन, जो उत्तर, दक्षिण, पूरब और पश्चिम में स्थित हैं, के संरक्षा अधिकारियों और सुपरवाइजर्स से संपर्क किया था। उनसे हमने ये निवेदन किया कि रेल सेफ्टी के बारे में रेलकर्मियों का फीडबैक लें। पता चला कि 3 नवंबर की सेफ्टी रिव्यू मीटिंग, जिसे मैडम #CRB को करवाना था, उसे अब रेलमंत्री की अध्यक्षता में करवाया जाएगा। यह बात बड़ी थी। इतनी मौतों के बाद मंत्री जी ने रेलयात्रियों की सुधि ली। स्वाभाविक था कि हमारे पास आपके फीडबैक आएंगे। और आए भी! उन्हें हमने एक वरिष्ठ सेवानिवृत्त अधिकारी से साझा किया और उनसे ‘स्टेटस ऑफ रेल सेफ्टी’ पर लिखने का आगृह किया। प्रस्तुत है – Status of Rail Safety!

Railway safety? Hah, what a joke! #RailSafety, it only becomes an issue when the body count starts to rise. But hey, at least the #Minister finally decided to grace us with his presence at a #Safety review meeting. I guess he was hammered from the top to see for himself just how badly things have gone down the drain.

And, why did people notice his appearance, you may ask? Well, it’s because the #morale of our beloved #officers and #supervisors has hit rock bottom. They are being dragged from one #disaster to another, and let me tell you, they’re not too happy about it. I mean, who can blame them? Why should they bother working when it’s clear that rail safety is only a concern for those who aren’t well-connected?

Oh, but the #Minister didn’t stop there. He had to rub salt in the wounds by suggesting that officers should go out into the field. Seriously? All these #accidents and #mishaps have completely undone any progress made before 2019, and now he wants them to get their hands dirty. Nice one, sir!

You know, us officers used to joke that the #Minister cleverly placed the #responsibility of #Safety on the Chief of the Railway Board (#CRB), while keeping the #Ministry of Railways cell free for all the lucrative #tenders, #transfers, #postings, and of course, #Vigilance manipulations. But it seems that someone finally told the Minister that enough is enough, hence his surprise appearance.

And of course, like a broken record, the #Minister once again insists that #officers will be held #responsible. Really? Just a few days ago, a #HighCourt had to step in and order your #ministry to do its job properly. #Railways didn’t just magically appear overnight, you know.

So, let’s all sit back and watch as the #Minister continues to play his blame game while the #Safety of our #railways hangs in the balance. It’s truly a marvelous display of #incompetence and #arrogance. Bravo, sir, bravo.

What happened on 03 November?

Few facts: #collisions are on rise, #SPAD are on rise, #derailments are on rise. After spending over one lakh crores, #SudheerSense has grounded the railways decisively.

Core findings reveal terrifying discrepancies: #ESP not matching #yard, #PFLevel, Length of #stabling line, and Class of #LC gate failing to align with ESP. It’s enough to make your skin crawl. This is what happens when your #advisor has the entire system under their iron grip-focused only on mega tenders.

Why on earth were the new #locomotives in need of #modification? Who gave them the green light? And why was there pressure on #RDSO to approve the #WAG12B without even considering these necessary alterations? Are we having #ALP-brakes for the first time?

But what caught #MR’s attention was something far from essential: ‘yawn detection’ and ‘mobile phone detection’. No sir, these are not the pressing matters that should be occupying the minds of #MD/CRIS and #DG/RDSO. Your #focus should be on the #backlog of #track tamping, the neglect of #point and #crossing maintenance.

Let’s not forget that the foundation of the railway system is crumbling while we’re busy perfecting our yawn recognition technology.

Oh, the priorities are all askew in this railway bureaucracy. But what can you expect when the power rests in the hands of an overbearing advisor? It’s time for #MR to redirect his energies, not towards novelty gadgets, but to the dire state of the #infrastructure he’s responsible for.

Oh, dear Sir, your brilliant strategy to systematically dismantle the organization under the guidance of the villainous #KMG and #AIDS leaders has truly left us in awe. Who needs #knowledge and #expertise when we have a bunch of yes-men and women to blindly follow your every command?

And, how admirable it is that you desire the heads of officers! Because, you know, nothing says effective leadership like blaming individuals instead of addressing the #root-causes of the problems.

And, let’s not forget the underlying issues that have conveniently been ignored. Why bother with maintaining #tracks and making urgent repairs? It’s not like #Safety is a priority or anything. And kudos to your emotionally intelligent #IRMS, #GMs for not matching the reality on the ground with their splendid #ESPs and #SWRs.

Oh Sir, in your reign, #RailBhawan and your #Cell has truly been a masterpiece of #incompetence. We applaud you for putting up with them.

You want to act as you claimed, well act on these first to redeem yourself:

o Now let’s take a look at the latest issue of times of india. Ah, how delightful it is to see #incompetence and #corruption at its finest, being applauded by a High Court! How in the world did you manage to allow a 7-fold increase in price just by playing around with the mode of #procurement? Bravo, my dear officials, bravo!

Oh, but it gets even better! Apparently, you also decided to reward the perpetrator of #Balasore. Truly, the perfect way to encourage more misdeeds and shady dealings. And let’s not forget about the Chief Signal and Telecommunication Engineer (#CSTE) who finalized two #Tender while under orders of #transfer. Ah, multitasking at its finest!

But wait, there’s more! In order to avoid electronic reverse auction, a few companies were disqualified. Of course, this led to the matter being dragged into court, where our esteemed Chief of the Railway Board and Director General of the Research, Design & Standards Organization (#RDSO) were given a little slap on the wrist. Oh, the drama! the scandal!

And, if that wasn’t enough, the ED/QA/Signal at Kolkata has also been pulled up by the court. But bless his stubborn soul, he just couldn’t resist defying principles of #rotation. Who needs #fairness and #integrity when you can have preferential treatment, am I right?

We’ve been raising these concerns for quite some time now, dear officials. So, pray tell, why did you have to wait for the court to spell it out for you? Oh, the irony! The incompetence! It’s almost too good to be true.

But fear not, my fellow citizens, for justice will surely prevail. And in the meantime, let us revel in the absurdity and dark comedy that is our beloved railway system. Cheers to you, dear officials, for giving us yet another reason to chuckle in despair.

o Balasore occurred due to a combination of factors, including incorrect labelling of cables and flawed working practices that have been in place since 2018. Additionally, the responsibility for #signalling work has fallen into the hands of #signal-cartels, who are supported and shielded by senior officials and the 3rd Floor of Rail Bhawan. It is imperative that action be taken to rectify this situation. The current system does not require a #temporary solution, but rather a comprehensive and #permanent fix by officers who work for railways unlike your chosen few from #KMG.

o Now, let us examine how officers are chosen for important positions. Are they experts in their field? You yourself have acknowledged the lack of a scientific approach in #accident investigations. Why is it that when your approval is required to assign an officer to RDSO and Rail Bhawan? Sir, under previous railway ministers and your rein, RDSO has been consistently weakened. To you and your predecessor, #RDSO was merely an agency for approving and inspecting #vendors and #materials. Sir, that is a very narrow-minded view. As the leader overseeing the safety of the Indian Railways, you must establish a pool of technically #competent officers who work in the best interest of the railways, rather than prioritizing vendors as is currently the case.

o In your bold statement, you warned the #Vigilance department. However, it is important to note, sir, that in the past, the regular #PED/Vigilance, RlyBd was a great charlatan by the name of #RKJha. He almost destroyed the careers of #AKLahoti and #VandeBharats, both of whom were spectacular failures under your vigilance department. But what was done, sir? #RKJha was rewarded, #RKRai was rewarded, and #AshokKumar was protected. This is consistent with the #reward given to #PCSTE/SER after Balasore. When you choose advisors from #KMG, these actions are to be expected from your office.

o You and CRB have also protected officers who have conducted business with #IndianRailways on #IREPS. Your continued lack of action on officers close to your #advisor has caused people to laugh at your threats. The truth is now known by everyone. When the Vande Bharat team was destroyed under your watch, your protection of the racketeers becomes understandable.

o You and CRB have failed to enforce basic rotation, which is your fundamental duty. Why do you expect officers and staff to work when the decisions are made by individuals like #Shamsi-#Nakra and many others from #KMG who are not held accountable?

नोट: मंत्री महोदय, इस लेख में लेखक की पीड़ा साफ झलक रही है!

https://twitter.com/railwhispers/status/1720501999106716102?s=48