Fill up posts in rlys to curb accidents: Union

Dhanbad: The All India Railwaymen’s Federation (AIRF) urged the Centre to fill up the vacant positions of 1.4 lakh safety employees to avoid accidents and ensure safety of passengers.
Addressing the condolence meeting organised by the East Central Railways Karamchari Union (ECRKU) on Wednesday to pay tributes to the passengers and the railways staff who lost their lives in the June 2 Balasore train accident, AIRF zonal secretary O P Sharma said, “Though the actual cause of the accident would be known after the probe, we are concerned about the safety staff who are forced to work overtime due to severe staff crunch.”
“The loco pilots, signal staff, and track maintainance employees have to work overtime, sometimes even double shifts, which is affecting not only their efficiency but also their mental abilities and decision-making powers. This has adversely hit train operations,” he added.
Over 1.4 lakh posts, related to the safety of trains and passengers, were lying vacant for long. The Centre is not paying heed to their demands of filling the posts without further delay, Sharma lamented.
“The Union ministry of railways should reduce the workload to enable the staff to efficiently serve the railways,” he opined.