Rahul Gandhi slams govt over 'inhumane' working conditions of loco pilots
New Delhi (PTI): Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday hit out at the government over the working conditions of loco pilots, saying that being made to work in "inhumane" conditions is not only an injustice to them but also playing with the safety of crores of passengers who travel by trains.
Gandhi also shared a media report on X which claimed that Railways rejected the demand for a break and women staff were quoted as saying that they had to do eight hours duty without a toilet facility.
"Last year, when I met the railway loco pilots, I was deeply worried to know their conditions -- 14-hour shifts, continuous night duty, no adequate rest, no food break and no toilet facilities," Gandhi said
"After accidents, the railway shrugs off the responsibility by calling it 'human error', but does not explain how the employees are made to work in an inhumane manner," the former Congress president said.
Their basic demands were fixed working hours and a better environment but the government formed a committee just for show and there was no intention to find a solution, he alleged.
"Now even demands like food and toilet breaks have been rejected saying that 'it is not practical'. This is not only an injustice to the loco pilots, but also playing with the safety of crores of passengers who travel by trains," Gandhi said.
"This is a fight for justice and we are with the loco pilots in this - as long as the government remains deaf, we will keep raising our voice," he said.
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Heavy rain, hailstorms likely to lash Uttarakhand on Tuesday; IMD issues warning
Dehradun/Pithoragarh (PTI): The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for heavy rain and hailstorms across several districts of Uttarakhand on Tuesday, as temperatures remained markedly below normal in the region.
Heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat, and Udham Singh Nagar districts. Most places across all districts are expected to receive light to moderate rain or thunderstorms, while higher reaches are likely to witness snowfall, officials said on Monday.
The weather department warned of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, hail and intense spells of rain in six districts, including Dehradun and Nainital. Gusty winds with speeds reaching 40-50 kmph are also expected at isolated locations in these areas and other hilly districts.
In the state capital, Dehradun, the sky is forecast to remain partly cloudy with light rain and thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds of 30-40 kmph.
The maximum and minimum temperatures in the city are expected to hover around 31 degrees Celsius and 19 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Maximum temperatures during the past 24 hours remained markedly below normal in the hills and appreciably below normal in the plains. While no significant change in temperature is expected over the next 2-3 days, the IMD predicts a rise of 3-5 degrees Celsius during the subsequent 3-4 days.
Rainfall was recorded in several areas after 8.30 am today, with Ramnagar receiving 31.5 mm and Nainital recording 26.5 mm. Other areas, including Pithoragarh, Khatima and Champawat, also reported moderate precipitation.
Authorities have stopped a batch of 36 Adi Kailash pilgrims at the Dharchula base camp and placed the high-altitude yatra route on high alert following heavy rains and hailstorms in the district on Monday.
Dharchula SDM Ashish Joshi said the pilgrimage was halted due to adverse weather conditions. The issuance of new inner-line passes has been suspended until the weather normalises.
With 1,700 passes issued so far, pilgrims already at higher camps are being monitored for safety, the official added.
