Mathura train derailment: 500 workers at site to clear track, panel to probe cause
Mathura (UP) (PTI): An inquiry committee will be formed to probe the derailment of 25 wagons of a freight train near Vrindavan in Mathura district, a senior official said here Thursday.
The derailment around 8 pm on Wednesday impacted services of around 30 trains on the route, with officials saying work is underway to clear the tracks so that normal operations could be resumed.
Nearly 500 workers have been deployed for the job of clearing the tracks since last night.
Divisional Railway Manager, Agra Division, Tej Prakash Agarwal on Wednesday told reporters that traffic on three railway lines was interrupted due to the derailment.
"Twenty-five wagons of the train taking coal to Suratgarh power plant (in Rajasthan) derailed after Vrindavan yard," Agarwal said, adding that no one was injured in the incident.
On Thursday morning, General Manager of North Central Railway, Upendra Chandra Joshi said, "Our priority is to clear the track first, and then we will focus on other aspects."
Joshi said the derailment, which occurred between Vrindavan Road and Ajhai stations, affected approximately 30 trains in the process.
While the exact cause of the derailment remains undetermined, officials are not ruling out any possibilities, including sabotage, he said.
"It is difficult to disclose the basic cause of derailment at this time. After the formation of the inquiry committee, all angles will be examined," he added.
Joshi said the necessary equipment, machines and ART (accident relief train), has been requisitioned from Agra, Delhi, and Moradabad to expedite the repair process.
SK Srivastava, Station Director at Mathura Junction, said down train movements are currently ongoing on the fourth line, ensuring some level of operational continuity while repairs are underway.
"Around 500 personnel are working on-site since Wednesday night to restore normal operations," he added.
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Karnataka procured 16 lakh expired RT-PCR kits during Covid wave: D’Cunha commission
Bengaluru: Justice John Michael D’Cunha’s committee has uncovered significant irregularities in the procurement of medical supplies during the Covid-19 pandemic, revealing that more than 16 lakh RT-PCR test kits purchased by Karnataka in 2022 under the BJP-led government were either expired or close to their expiry dates.
After irregularities in PPE kit purchases, ventilators have also come under the scanner, with the report highlighting discrepancies amounting to Rs 173.26 crore in purchases made by the Medical Education Department.
The commission has also found that the Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation Ltd. (KSMSCL) that cancelled a supply order for one lakh Rapid Antigen (RAT) kits placed with a Singapore-based company in March 2020 — for delay in supplying — has not recovered the Rs 6.99 crore paid to the company towards the order, as reported by The Hindu on Thursday.
According to the 279-page report on procurements made by the KSMSCL that is compiled in part IV of the report, a payment of Rs 148.84 crore was made by KSMSCL to various suppliers and firms towards procurement of RT-PCR kits from 2020 to 2022.
The Commission’s report, as cited by the publication, stated that there were records indicating procurement of RT-PCR kits, RNA extraction kits and Viral transport media (VTM) of a total value of Rs 106.25 crore during the pandemic in Karnataka. However, according to the report, this procurement was made without administrative approval.
“Since the KSMSCL has failed to discharge its obligation and responsibility, the loss caused to the State exchequer to this extent is required to be replenished by the erring officers and/or officials of the KSMSCL as well as the officers and/or officials of the consignee designated laboratories who received the consignment,” the report said, pegging the losses due to expired kits supplied by companies at Rs 3.11 crore.
In response to the report’s findings, state Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao criticised the saffron party for profiting from the pandemic. He promised accountability for the irregularities involving PPE kits and ventilators, stating that those responsible would face punishment.
