Railway orders 15-day intensive safety drive
New Delhi (PTI): In the wake of the Sunday collision between two trains in Andhra Pradesh that killed at least 14 people, the Railway Board has issued directions to all zones to conduct an intensive two-week safety dive from October 31.
"Recent cases of SPADs (signal passed at danger) and accidents call for a resolve to strengthen alertness and enforcement of laid down practices and protocols in train operations," the board said in a letter sent to the general managers of all railway zones on October 30.
"Towards this, an Intensive Safety Drive of 2 weeks is to be launched immediately from 31-10-2023 to 14-11-2023, involving officers at all levels," the letter, accessed by PTI, added.
The board has listed 23 safety aspects and directed the zonal railways to emphasise these during the drive. It says that the officers and loco inspectors should randomly travel in the engine, especially at night, to see if safety norms are obeyed by the crew.
It has further said that loco inspectors should check physically as well as with the monitoring of the Crew Voice and Video Recording System (CVVRS) whether the crew -- loco pilot (LP) and assistant loco pilot (ALP) -- are calling out all signals loudly and clearly to each other (one of the crucial operation safety norms).
The loco inspectors are also asked to see whether the crew is using mobile phones while driving the train as the use of mobile phones is strictly prohibited for the drivers while the train is in operation.
The board wants the crew to be specifically monitored for their ability to handle the train at the yellow signal and in gradients so that they can stop promptly at red signals.
"The letter has asked loco inspectors to see how the crew controls the train in an automatic block system in which signals automatically work by the passage of the trains," a senior officer from one of the zones said, requesting anonymity.
He added, "Besides, the Board directs zones to monitor if the crew is following all speed restrictions meticulously and using the right braking technique for different types of loads. Crew medical conditions are also to be ascertained. The Board has also asked zones to see if qualitative family counselling sessions for the crew are being held."
The board has asked the zones to monitor whether the crew gets proper rest and if unusual instances and genuine grievances reported by them have been timely addressed.
"All the zones have to upload the weekly progress report of the drive on the system provided to them," the officer said.
But the train drivers' unions have called the board's initiative just another eyewash and a face-saving measure after two major train accidents within a fortnight.
They say that 10 to 15 per cent of posts of loco pilots are vacant in a majority of divisions and almost the same percentage is of those train drivers who are forced to work more than 12 hours.
Sanjay Pandhi, working president of the Indian Railway Loco Runningmen Organisation (IRLRO), shared a response of the Railway Board in 2010 to an application under the RTI Act in which the board had admitted that there is no provision for breakfast, lunch or dinner breaks for train drivers.
"The situation hasn't changed even today. The use of the word 'exigencies' in the working hours guidelines of the Railway goes in its favour. It says that they can use the crew beyond the limits prescribed in case of 'exigencies'," Pandhi said.
He added, "Taking passengers from one station to another is itself an exigency'. In the guise of an exigency clause, drivers are often asked to work for 15 hours or even more. There are no proper guidelines on how to relieve a running staff and who has the final authority to relieve them from work."
Pandhi also cited a circular of the Ahmedabad Railways Division dated May 2023 regarding the crew's excess working hours, which shows that 23 per cent crew worked beyond 12 hours.
"Night duties are not defined. Drivers cannot take a break to answer their natural calls as in many engines there are no washrooms," he alleged, demanding the board to also focus on these aspects.
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Minister Patil chairs industry meetings to chart growth for key sectors in Karnataka
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister M B Patil on Tuesday chaired meetings with industry representatives from the aerospace and defence, machine tools, auto/EV, and green energy sectors to discuss sector growth and government support measures.
The meetings were attended by leading industrialists and their representatives, with some participating virtually.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister for Large and Medium Industries said Karnataka is at the forefront of the country’s aerospace and defence sectors.
He noted that Suzuki and Toyota plan to launch aerial taxi services in Japan by 2028, with Bengaluru-based Sasmos supplying electrical equipment for the project.
Industrialists suggested introducing similar “fly-taxi” services in Karnataka through an appropriate policy, which Patil said would be examined seriously.
The minister highlighted the need to establish testing centres and Common Facility Centres for the aerospace and defence industries and assured that these facilities would be provided.
Suggestions were also made to prepare a comprehensive roadmap for sector growth.
Karnataka has urged the Central Government to approve Defence Corridor projects in the Bengaluru North–Kolar–Chikkaballapur and Dharawada–Vijayapura–Belagavi regions.
Industrialists also suggested a corridor between Bengaluru and Mysuru, Patil said.
He said Karnataka aims to become a hub for defence electronics manufacturing, with plans to establish a 200-acre Defence Electronics Park and a 100-acre Avionics and Sensor Park.
These projects will be implemented once the Special Investment Region is operational, and land availability will not be an issue.
On the machine tools sector, Patil said the industry has recorded an annual turnover of Rs 36,500 crore and is witnessing steady growth.
Large-scale exhibitions have increased demand, and the state must strengthen its capabilities to develop control systems for heavy machinery. One testing unit is already operational in Bengaluru, with another planned for Tumakuru. Expansion of vocational training institutes in industrial areas is also underway.
In the Auto and EV sector, Vision Group members highlighted the need for a network of dry ports and more EV charging stations across the state.
Patil noted that the Tata Group is manufacturing EV buses in Dharawada for nationwide supply. Plans for mini excavator production and export facilitation were also discussed, along with the establishment of a testing facility for two-wheeler EVs.
For the Green Energy sector, the group emphasised the need for a suitable policy on battery-based energy storage and the establishment of data centres.
Patil assured that the government will seriously consider all suggestions and respond positively.
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