Indian Railways – Safety Bet!!!

The oldest Public sector undertaking inIndia. Connecting parts of India that would otherwise be inaccessible if left only to roads. The largest network of rail links have ensured parts of Indian remain connected and functioning bringing people in contact with the various peoples India constitutes.

In times of the worst tragedy and disasters associated with railways and trains, The railway board response strategies are one of the most archaic and of remote relevance. This has been well taken cognizance of the lower officials. The ingenuity of the lower personnel have saved more lives then the protocols the railway board prescribes in its manuals andperiodic reports. The functioning of railways when it comes to policy of transport policy is felt as populist.

Every year the minister for railways would in pompous display of pro-people would go ahead and announce crores of worth of railways links and projects which at best are pompous declarations never to be implemented. The good days and baddays of railways are consistently attempted to be defined by the dedicated personnel of railways. The ministry under Mr. laloo Prasad yadav was said to be better, but the truth is better accounting and freight traffic management led to the limited success the railways achieved. The successive guidance from Ms. Mamta Banerjee, and her entourage of party cadres are taking the railways inch by inch into an abyss the railways have known to have survived for a very long time.

The increasing targeting of railways by criminal elements of the extremists have taken a toll on the morale of the cutting edge bureaucracy in the railways. Without basic tools of functioning. The lighting on signaling system do not function, The gate opening and closure are not being timed , and consistent failure of the railway police to tackle crime and the tracks and along track are appalling. The crime against women on moving trains. In state of karnataka a woman was thrown out for resisting molester. Similar incidents of women and victims being thrown out of moving trains after enduring molestation, rape , robbery have only strengthen the fear in minds of the vulnerable folk.

Train is the only accessible mode of long distance travel in India. From employees to travelers India can be said to move because of railways. The once pride of India is now a reminiscence of a past glory. The political control and manipulations of the administration coupled by the manning of administrative and operational posts being by bureaucrats have made rail travelers exposed to risks of serious lapses that has endangered their lives and livelihoods.

Riots and Derailment are the most commonest thing about railways citizens are to endure. The successive patronizing by the politicians and bureaucrats coupled with the armyself-congratulating on number of dead bodies they recover from debris is ridiculous and most painful to read and digest. For too long now the opinion is directed towards privatization of the railway sector. At least if not privatization of the railways at-least allow fro some Private participation so as to push the bureaucrats to function into competition and performance. Insiders disillusioned by the state of affairs commented – Railways has lost its professionalism every decision in the railways is taken based on caste and religion., political affiliations and nepotism rule the roost. They say. Corruption has been so severe it has incapacitated the railways torespond to grievances of the people. The frustration among railway users are so severe that in state of bihar and uttar pradesh where the situation far worse then in other parts of the country. The cases of people ransacking the offices of railways officials is very high leading to injuries to railway officials and further demoralization of the employees.

Ridiculous was the spate of political motivated appointments in railways when Union minister of railways was replaced by a party loyalist from the same party when the Union minister angered his party boss by increasing fares for the railways. Such policy ambivalence have encouraged senior bureaucrats to be extremely lax on their supervision, Further encouraging unsavory characters to exploit the situation endangering the security and safety of the passengers and the officials. The railways officialdom is a classic example of the self-perpetuating bureaucracy that have eaten itself to fatten the structure with extensive avoidable hierarchy. A RTI application into the processes of the office will reveal to the reader that the labyrinth a file for basic supplies has to take in-order for clearance is the example and call for full privatization of railways. The public sector may function alongside the private but should be competitive engagement in its endeavors and not allowed to slumber as has been the case till now.

Lets set this right.........its alreadylate...

Credits:

Investigative partnership organized by Wikileaks

Data:

Obtained By Wikileaks.