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SAFETY LAMP: The Railway Board Chairman, Mr R.K. Singh, helps the Railway Minister, Mr Nitish Kumar, light the lamp at the `Akhil Bharatiya Rail Sanraksha Maha Sammelan' in Hyderabad on Monday. Also seen are Mr M. Raghaviah (second from left), General Secretary of National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NIFR), Mr B.R. Patil, Minister of Sate for Railways, and Mr Stanley Babu, General Manager, South Central Railway. - Mohammed Yousuf

Hyderabad , Oct. 20

IT was a unique gathering. Mr Nitish Kumar, the Railway Minister, his two deputies, the whole of the Railway Board, top officials of the Railways, the representatives of several employees' unions and the grassroots staff. All the stakeholders of the Railways were there at the `Akhil Bharatiya Rail Sanraksha Maha Sammelan' held here on Monday.

Setting the tone for discussion, Mr M. Raghavaiah, General Secretary of the National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR), said it is time for retrospection. "We should realise that we are accountable. We have to ensure safety and punctuality. It's time we talk on `human errors' and system failures," he said.

Notwithstanding the newspaper reports, the accident rate has come down drastically, he claimed and added: "We need to have a coordinated effort to ensure smooth running of this complex system."

Stating that there are a number of problems being faced by the employees, he said working conditions needed improvement. "Quality and skills have to be improved," he said.

In the background paper on safety, Mr Raghavaiah said some "drastic measures" were needed to rectify deficiencies such as shortage of fittings, inadequate training to the staff, shortcut methods allowed for the purpose of speedy movement of trains, stretching the capacities of staff and inadequate resting facilities.

Mr T. Stanley Babu, General Manager of South Central Railway (SCR), asked the Railway Minister to consider acquiring a helicopter in order to reach out to accident spots. "In several cases, we find accessibility a stumbling block. Why don't we acquire a helicopter for the purpose," he said.

The zone, which had passed through a rough phase this year, could minimise accidents by 32 per cent.

"We have taken up a massive public awareness campaign to reduce the incidence of trains hitting cattle and human beings. We are planning to show film clips in cinemas to highlight the problem," he said.

Pandal proves unsafe

HYDERABAD: About 10,000 delegates, who congregated at the `maha sammelan' meet, escaped unhurt by a whisker as the huge pandal erected on the Railway Recreation Club grounds caved in due to the heavy winds and rain that lashed the city in the afternoon.

The delegates from all over the country, who came together to discuss issues related to safety, ironically had to get a taste of nature's fury. Nearly 20 delegates received minor injuries in the incident.

The damage was minimum as most of the delegates were out having lunch. The seminar, however, went on in the adjacent auditorium. Making light of the incident, the Railway Minister, Mr Nitish Kumar, said the rain augured well and that the safety campaign would go on unhindered.

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