Southern railway staff from Chennai, who travel by special trains to workshops at various locations in Tirupattur district, have been asked to stay in their work spots to prevent COVID-19 spread in the district, officials said.
Vellore: According to a directive issued by Collector MP Sivan Arul, if the railway staff refuses to obey the order they would be quarantined for 14 days when they enter the district border. The strict measure was taken to prevent the virus spreading in Tirupattur district.
Officials revealed that railway men came for work and returned back to Chennai daily raising fears among local railway staff, as they fear that the infected staff may be ‘carriers.’ Station masters revealed that they were scared of interacting with Chennai staff when they arrived for work due to fear of infection, but at the same time revealed to district revenue officials that they were helpless as they had to obey their superior’s orders. SRMU (Southern Railway Mazdoor Union) sources revealed that it would benefit all concerned if railway staff were asked to stay back in their work spots till the Chennai lockdown was lifted as “most are travelling from Chennai which is now a COVID-19 hotspot.”
This resulted in the Tirupattur district administration asking even private company employees who commuted to Chennai daily or those from Chennai who came to Tirupattur district to stay and work from home. A senior official said “we will wait for a few days to see how railway staff react failing which we will quarantine them for 14 days to ensure that the district continues to remain free of the coronavirus.”
Railway sources said, “when our counterparts in other railways are at home during the lockdown we do not understand why southern railway asks us to work and that too in places to which workers can unknowingly carry and spread the virus.”
Officials revealed that railway men came for work and returned back to Chennai daily raising fears among local railway staff, as they fear that the infected staff may be ‘carriers.’ Station masters revealed that they were scared of interacting with Chennai staff when they arrived for work due to fear of infection, but at the same time revealed to district revenue officials that they were helpless as they had to obey their superior’s orders. SRMU (Southern Railway Mazdoor Union) sources revealed that it would benefit all concerned if railway staff were asked to stay back in their work spots till the Chennai lockdown was lifted as “most are travelling from Chennai which is now a COVID-19 hotspot.”
This resulted in the Tirupattur district administration asking even private company employees who commuted to Chennai daily or those from Chennai who came to Tirupattur district to stay and work from home. A senior official said “we will wait for a few days to see how railway staff react failing which we will quarantine them for 14 days to ensure that the district continues to remain free of the coronavirus.”
Railway sources said, “when our counterparts in other railways are at home during the lockdown we do not understand why southern railway asks us to work and that too in places to which workers can unknowingly carry and spread the virus.”