ProUI

The Indian Railways have decided to install a new fuel saving device, an auxiliary power unit (APU), in diesel locomotives which will result in savings of more than Rs 20 lakh per locomotive per year.   To begin with, the Railways installed the device on 12 existing diesel locomotives through retrofitment.   The Railways have now decided to fit the APU in all its newly-built diesel locomotives and are hoping to save more than Rs 60 crore annually.   He said the use of APU would also result in lower carbon dioxide emission and other pollutants like HC, NOx, CO and so on.

The first train is scheduled to chug along the Aluva-Palarivattom reach of Kochi Metro in December 2015. “Only if regional-level labour unions permit,” the officials associated with the project had warned.

They spoke of how several piling and test piling sites of the metro have too many workers, after a few labour unions insisted that their workers too be deployed alongside skilled workers posted by contractors. The result – a good many of the workers owing allegiance to regional unions are idling at work sites.

“This is nothing but improvised nokkukooli. For the past couple of months, contractors have been paying these workers. But we fear that this will increase the project cost because contractors might soon demand reimbursement of the wages paid to workers owing allegiance to unions,” sources associated with the metro said.

In the long run, this might affect the pace of works since the idling workers are setting a bad example for others, adversely affecting the work culture. Though undue interference from trade unions is prevalent only at piling sites, it will begin to dampen the project once piling and related civil works begin in more places. Aimed at speedy and timely completion of the project, modern machinery has been deployed at work sites and the need for workers is minimal. The sources associated with the metro said they were willing to accommodate a few regional workers in each site, given trade union leaders shed their stand that everyone in the list given by them be paid irrespective of whether they work or not.

Reacting to the issue, District Collector P.I. Sheikh Pareeth said a contracting firm had recently apprised him of the practice. “We will convene a meeting within a couple of days to resolve the issue since it goes against the spirit of the mutually agreed system evolved by labour officials on accommodating union workers.”

A senior metro official said there was no question of project cost escalation since the contracting firm would have to bear the additional expenses. But there are doubts on whether this would be at the cost of the quality of works.

Undue interference from trade unions has lessened at the metro’s casting site in HMT following a string of media reports that exposed demands for nokkukooli.

Stakeholders associated with the metro demanded that the State government intervene in the issue since work on the project was picking pace after a few initial delays.

Responding to the issue, district secretary of CITU K.N. Gopinath said the contractor constructing metro’s via duct and stations in the Aluva-international stadium stretch had agreed to accommodate six workers in each of their piling sites. Sub contractors in a couple of other sites were opposed to this. “We are willing to have a relook, if there are problems,” he said.

There’s some good news for women commuters. At least 100 additional GRP personnel will be deployed to guard local trains, especially women compartments, after the Railway Board has agreed to foot 50% cost incurred to deploy the additional force.A division bench of chief justice Mohit Shah and justice MS Sancklecha directed the Board and the state to expeditiously clear the proposal to deploy additional GRP personnel at suburban stations and on local trains to ensure safety of women commuters.The bench was hearing a suo moto PIL based on newspaper reports and a PIL filed by NGO Help Mumbai Foundation regarding women’s safety on local trains.In the last hearing, the court was informed that the state had granted approval for the deployment of additional home guards. But it had asked the railways to bear 50% of the cost. Now, the new posts will be filled by the state, which is going to bear the other 50% of the expense.

Continuing its drive against unlabelled sweets and ‘farsan’ coming into the State the food safety officers of the Goa Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) confiscated seven parcels containing mawa/kalakanand from the Vasco railways station on Wednesday.The parcels were brought for delivery to certain sweet mart vendors in Vasco city for preparing sweets ahead of upcoming annual Ganesh festival. The quantity of mawa/ kalakanand brought into Goa via railways was 263 kg, estimated at Rs. 40,000.The consignment was booked by the Railways from Miraj to Vasco for delivery to certain dairy/sweet marts in Vasco and the FDA was on the look out for such arrival or entry of such consignments into the State for last several days and managed to detain the consignment on a tip off received by the Department. Director of FDA Salim Veljee said on Wednesday evening that the entire consignment did not carry any label disclosing the name and address of the manufacturers, nor any label declaration about its nutritional value, manufacture date, best before use, or other essential labelling requirements prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

Consignment did not disclose the makers’ name

Mawa had not been kept in cold storage

The first train is scheduled to chug along the Aluva-Palarivattom reach of Kochi Metro in December 2015. “Only if regional-level labour unions permit,” the officials associated with the project had warned.

They spoke of how several piling and test piling sites of the metro have too many workers, after a few labour unions insisted that their workers too be deployed alongside skilled workers posted by contractors. The result – a good many of the workers owing allegiance to regional unions are idling at work sites.

“This is nothing but improvised nokkukooli. For the past couple of months, contractors have been paying these workers. But we fear that this will increase the project cost because contractors might soon demand reimbursement of the wages paid to workers owing allegiance to unions,” sources associated with the metro said.

In the long run, this might affect the pace of works since the idling workers are setting a bad example for others, adversely affecting the work culture. Though undue interference from trade unions is prevalent only at piling sites, it will begin to dampen the project once piling and related civil works begin in more places. Aimed at speedy and timely completion of the project, modern machinery has been deployed at work sites and the need for workers is minimal. The sources associated with the metro said they were willing to accommodate a few regional workers in each site, given trade union leaders shed their stand that everyone in the list given by them be paid irrespective of whether they work or not.

Reacting to the issue, District Collector P.I. Sheikh Pareeth said a contracting firm had recently apprised him of the practice. “We will convene a meeting within a couple of days to resolve the issue since it goes against the spirit of the mutually agreed system evolved by labour officials on accommodating union workers.”

A senior metro official said there was no question of project cost escalation since the contracting firm would have to bear the additional expenses. But there are doubts on whether this would be at the cost of the quality of works.

Undue interference from trade unions has lessened at the metro’s casting site in HMT following a string of media reports that exposed demands for nokkukooli.

Stakeholders associated with the metro demanded that the State government intervene in the issue since work on the project was picking pace after a few initial delays.

Responding to the issue, district secretary of CITU K.N. Gopinath said the contractor constructing metro’s via duct and stations in the Aluva-international stadium stretch had agreed to accommodate six workers in each of their piling sites. Sub contractors in a couple of other sites were opposed to this. “We are willing to have a relook, if there are problems,” he said.

Protest against alleged neglect towards Kazhakuttom by Railways

The action council for development of Kazhakuttom railway station will observe Friday as Black Day in protest against the neglect towards Kazhakuttom by Railways.To register the protest, people from all walks of life, including the railway passengers and students, would wear black badges, the council said. The railway authorities were adopting a negative stand on the genuine demands, including stops for long-distance trains, at the railway station, general convener John Venatius said.The observance of Black Day was part of intensifying the agitation to achieve the immediate demands. Mr. Venatius said one lakh signatures would be collected on Friday in support of the cause. The general convener said the memorandum would be presented soon to the Union Minister for Railways and Chairman of the Railway Board.To wind up the protest on Wednesday, a public meeting would be held on the station premises at 4.30 p.m.

The memorandum submitted by the council to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and a dharna held in front of the Divisional Railway Office had failed to evoke any response, he said.

The council is demanding the elevation of the station as the third terminal of the Central Station; stops for Vanchinad, Malabar, Ernad, Parasuram, Venad, Kannur, and Chennai Super Expresses; increase in the number of ticket counters and reservation facility with IUTS system; and renovation and upgrade of the second and third platforms. Another demand put forward by the council is the renaming of the station as Kazhakuttom Technopark station.

Due to line block / power block, to facilitate engineering works at Karunguzhi in Chengalpattu – Tindivanam section, the following changes will be made in train services from 06.09.2013 to 08.09.2013.

On 06.09.2013 & 07.09.2013

1)T.No.12636 Madurai – Chennai Egmore Vaigai Express, scheduled to arrive at Chennai Egmore at 14.40 hrs., will be regulated at Madurantakam and will arrive at Chennai Egmore late by 120 minutes.

2)T.No.12635 Chennai Egmore – Madurai Vaigai Express scheduled to leave Chennai Egmore at 13.20 hrs. will be regulated at Chengalpattu and will arrive at Villupuram late by 50 minutes.

3)T.No.12605 Chennai Egmore – Karaikkudi Pallavan Express scheduled to leave Chennai Egmore at 15.45 hrs. will be rescheduled to leave Chennai Egmore late by 90 minutes. 

4)T.No.66043/63044 Chennai Beach – Melmaruvathur – Chennai Beach (MEMU) passenger trains will be partially cancelled between Chengalpattu – Melmaruvathur.

5)T.No.66045/66046 Melmaruvathur – Villupuram – Melmaruvathur (MEMU) passenger trains will be fully cancelled.

6)T.No.16854 Tiruchchirappalli – Chennai Egmore Cholan Express scheduled to arrive at Chennai Egmore at 17.50 hrs. will be regulated at Madurantakam and will arrive at Chennai Egmore late by 60 minutes.

II.LINE BLOCK / POWER BLOCK


            Due to line block in connection with engineering works between Villivakkam – Ambattur, the following changes will be made in train services from 06.09.2013 to 08.09.2013.


(A) Trains fully cancelled:

1)Train No.43001 Mooremarket Complex (MMC) - Avadi EMU local scheduled to leave MMC at 00.15 hrs.

2)Train No.43002 Avadi - Mooremaket Complex (MMC) EMU local scheduled to leave Avadi at 04.00 hrs.

(B) Train rescheduled:

            Train No.43801 Chennai Beach – Arakkonam EMU local scheduled to leave

            Chennai Beach at 21.45 hrs. will leave late by 60 minutes.


III.                                SPECIAL DRIVE AGAINT TICKETLESS TRAVEL

A special drive against ticketless travel was organised from 05.00 hrs. to 11.00 hrs. o­n 04.09.2013 at Chennai Central, Chennai Egmore, Perambur, Tiruvallur and Tambaram under the leadership of Ms.Sarla Balagopal, Chief Commercial Manager of Southern Railway, who was assisted by a team of five Commercial Officers. Around 300 staff belonging to the Chief Commercial Manager’s Squad, as well as that of Chennai, Tiruchchirappalli and Madurai divisions, were utilised for this check along with 50 RPF personnel.

            The objective of the drive was to create an awareness among the passengers to travel with proper travel authority. This drive which was conducted for a short span of just 6 hours, has resulted in the detection of a total of 1737 cases of ticketless/irregular travel and realisation of railway dues to the tune of Rs.5,83,236/-. Of this, the number of cases of ticketless travel alone was 1297, o­n which an amount of Rs.4,27,922 /- was realised.

SER to run Puja special between Shalimar To Yeshwantpur; And Satragachi To Puri

BHOPAL Twenty- three followers of self- styled godman Asaram Bapu, who is in Jodhpur jail in a sexual abuse case, stopped a train at Subhash Railway crossing on Thursday. Also, they disrupted railway traffic between Bhopal and Habibganj railway stations.Consequently, all of them were booked by the RPF. The demonstrators were kept in various police stations and they will be produced in the court tomorrow.Earlier, hundred of followers of Asaram disrupted railway traffic for about 40 minutes by stopping Amarkantak Express at Subhash railway crossing. When the railway guard informed the RPF personnel, they swung into action.The cops from Aishbag Police station also rushed to the spot to assist the RPF jawans. Some of the followers of Asaram, who boarded the train from Bhopal railway station, pulled the chain at the crossing. Then a mob of followers rushed towards the track with flags. According to RPF sources, the followers of Asaram had stopped the Amarkantak Express.Rapid Action Forces and Aish Bag police immediately swung into action and removed from tracks. RPF sources further said 23 followers were booked on the charge of disruption of railway traffic. A case has been registered against them. RPF commandant Vikay Khatarkar said, “ Some followers who boarded the train from the Bhopal railway station pulled the chain at the crossing. Then hundreds of people rushed towards the track but they were driven out.”

Angry passengers on Friday blocked the railway tracks at Sonarpur station of Eastern Railway demanding more local trains to Sealdah station in Kolkata. The police said hundreds of passengers sat on the rails after local trains reached at a very long gap causing overcrowding and many people failed to entrain or detrain during the busy office hour. Local train services from Sealdah station to Canning, Diamond Harbour, Lakshmikantapur, Baruipur and Namkhana in South 24-Pargans district were disrupted as a result of this blockade, railway officials said.The passengers demanded more trains and timely operation of the local trains, sources said.