ProUI

NAGPUR: Taking swift action after complaints of harassment by women passengers on a train, Itwari railway police nabbed a group of 15 youths from Shivnath Express as soon as it reached Itwari Railway station early on Thursday morning.The group of youths hailing from Bilaspur and Raipur were employees of a private company and were coming to Nagpur to attend an official meeting.Police have booked the youths on a complaint lodged by Khaperkheda resident Aarti Trivedi, 48, and Narendra Agrawal from Korba.Trivedi was travelling with her two young daughters and Agrawal was with his wife. They claimed that during the journey, the youths first sang indecent songs and passed abusive comments towards Trivedi's daughters and Agrawal's wife.The duo informed the TTE and even alerted railway police control room. The youths were produced in the court on Thursday afternoon and released on bail with Rs 500 fine each.

Kolkata: The 132-year-old Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR), which has been running a shortened service since 2010 due to landslides and earthquakes that has uprooted its tracks at various places, is now being restored by UNESCO.The 88-kilometre railway system, commonly known as the “Toy Train”, is on the brink of getting an “endangered” status and even being de-listed from the list of World Heritage Sites. The UN body is appalled that three years have passed and till now neither the Indian Railways, nor West Bengal government has taken up the job of repairing first mountain railway in India and only the second in the world to have received the heritage status.In a letter to Railway Board Chairman Arunendra Kumar this week, Shigeru Aoyagi, Director and UNESCO representative for India, Maldives and Sri Lanka, said that the railways needed to do much more than what it has done to protect the heritage site. “In view of the serious concerns raised by the international community regarding the condition of the DHR, it is important that your ministry demonstrate its active commitment to the protection of DHR so as to maintain its status within the World Heritage List,” the letter said.
Now, the body has taken on the responsibility to fund the repair of the track at a cost of $665,154 (Dh2.444 million), and will sign an agreement with the Indian Railways in September, where railways will be the nodal body for implementation and UNESCO will provide the technology. It has given the railways a strict time frame of 24-months to implement the same and wants the full track to be functional starting from Siliguri to Darjeeling.


Presently, DHR runs four trains between Dajeeling and Ghum and two between Karseong and Darjeeling and one as junge safari connecting Siliguri to Rontong.
According to the Adhir Chowdhury Minister of State-Railway, “we also want to restore this line. The central government had allocated funds, but state Public Works Department and National Road Transport Ministry has been squabbling and could not do the job. A coordination committee will be formed between UNESCO, railways, Road Transport Ministry, Bengal government and Gorkhaland Territorial Administration so that there are no further delays and problems during restoration work,” informed Chowdhury.

BANGALORE : 
South Western Railways (SWR) is planning to take up construction of subways and to close major level crossings this financial year for smooth rail traffic. Despite being one of the smaller zones, SWR has taken this major step to enhance safety.“To improve railway safety, we have taken up construction of 85 subways and plan to close 82 level crossings this year,” Ashok Kumar Mital, General Manager, SWR, told Business Line.“So far 14 subways have been completed and 21 level crossings have been closed till July-end,” he added.Mital added that during 2012-13, SWR constructed 75 subways in lieu of level crossings and closed 91 level crossings and bagged Railway Board’s Shield for ‘Level Crossings and Road Over Bridges (ROBs)/ Road Under Bridges (RUBs) works.’Talking about SWR’s performance, Mital said, “SWR has been moving ahead on a path of high growth. In the first-four months of the current year 2013-14, we have carried 10.37 million tonnes of freight and 64.28 million originating passengers with the gross earnings of Rs 1,434.04 crores.”

For the whole year, SWR last financial year (2012-13), loaded 33.52 million tonnes of freight and carried 193 millions of originating passengers with the gross earnings of Rs 4,185 crore. During the current year, 47 km of new railway line, 43 km of track doubling are targeted for completion.

“During April to July this year there were no consequential train accidents due to continued emphasis on safety activities. This Railway is firmly committed to ‘zero tolerance’ for any violation of safety norm at any level. Focus is given on full-proof functioning of safety systems through frequent inspections and counselling of staff,” Mital said.

According to Mital, for easy availability of tickets, unreserved ticketing system (UTS) has been extended to cover 244 stations and reserved tickets can be obtained at 152 locations. In addition to this, 58 of Jansadharan Ticket Booking Sevak (JTBS) have been appointed to issue unreserved tickets.

LUCKNOW: The army recruitment drive in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, turned riotous on Saturday when thousands of unsuccessful applicants went on a rampage during an army recruitment campaign. Pelting stones at buses and stopping trains on the last day of the 'Sena Bharti Mela' at the RPSF camp, several aspirants from Mau district were put through selection test but failed to make the cut. While a totalof 362 were selected, nearly 5000, local police said, were found ineligible. A few of these 5,000 failed candidates created a ruckus at the railway platforms, bus stations and streets of the city, on their way home, reports said.Things turned ugly after the aspirants insisted on travelling in local transport-- auto-rickshaws and buses -- but failed to pay the requisite fare. When asked to pay up, some resorted to pelting stones at roadways buses, the police said. Local police also said they looted railway vendors and stopped several trains passing through Gorakhpur, including the Durg Express, Bagh Express and Varanasi-Gorakhpur Intercity trains on Cantt Railway station, even trying to board them.

Local sources also said the applicants stopped Shaheed Express at the Cantt railway station, delaying it by several hours. The train was able to move only after local policemen and RPF jawans intervened and controlled the mob. Following the racket, the railways said they are attempting to identify the miscreants through CCTV footage. They also said the guilty will be punished, once the identification is completed.

GUWAHATI  – NF Railway Sports Club continued their winning run in the GSA Super League Football Championship.In today’s match at the Nehru Stadium here, the railwaymen earned a 1-0 victory against ASEB Sports Club.After a scoreless first session, Jilendra Brahma scored the winning goal in the 82nd minute with a sharp header anticipating a floater sent by Sibra Narzary. Sibra took a flag kick and the ASEB defenders could not clear the ball properly. Finding the ball again Sibra set it for Jilendra who nodded into the back of the net.It was a mediocre encounter where very few goal bound moves were seen. ASEB squandered a scoring opportunity in the very third minute when Sagar Hang Limbu’s shot was fisted away by the Railway goalkeeper K Bijen Singh.In the 20th minute Jilendra’s shot missed the target by a whisker. Apart from these occasions, no team could cause real threat to the opponents. However, it was Jilendra who finally saw the day through for the Railway team. It was Railway’s fifth victory in six outings and placed on top with 16 points.

Maharana get walk over: In the A Division match Maharana AC got walk over as their opponent Abutani SC did not turn up.

Today’s matches: (Super Div) Green Valley vs AP Blues; (A Div) Ganga SC vs Rising XI.

MAPUSA: Tivim MLA and member of the konkan railway users' consultative committee (KRUCC) Kiran Kandolkar assured upgradation of the Tivim railway station with facilities like parking areas, ramps for the physically-handicapped, an over bridge across platforms etc. The MLA is nominated as a member on the KRUCC by ministry of parliamentary affairs, government of India, for a period from March 2013 to February 2015. In view of the committee's meeting at Belapur, Navi Mumbai, Kandolkar recently visited Tivim railway station along with Sirsaim sarpanch Gokuldas Kandolkar, panch members and others. Sources inform that the railway station has received complaints regarding the very narrow entrance leading to the platform that is causing hardships and inconvenience to travellers, especially women and people with disabilities. Kandolkar met with station master Gajanan Kumbhar, other officials of railway station, taxi and rickshaw operators association to discuss several relevant issues for upgradation of the station, including parking area for taxi and other vehicles, widening and repairs of approach road to station, footpaths on either side of the approach road, shaded ramp for handicapped persons and an over bridge across platforms.

"The works like parking areas and a ramp for handicapped persons, which are a necessity, will be taken up soon," Kandolkar said on inspecting the railway station.

Security at the railway station is also an important aspect, as sources inform that many anti-social elements enter Goa through Tivim railway station and are involved in crimes of robbery and chain snatching around Mapusa. Recently, three women from Kolhapur, who were on the run after stealing gold earrings from a beauty parlour in Mapusa were arrested. Kandolkar assured improved security measures at the railway station.

Railways will run special trains between Chennai Central and Mangalore Junction from September 14 to clear the rush of passengers during Onam.A press release issued by Palakkad Railway Division said reservation for these trains started on Sunday.Train No.06003 Chennai Central – Mangalore Junction Special will leave Chennai at 9 p.m. on September 14 and September 21 and arrive at Mangalore at 12.45 p.m. the following day.Train No.06004 Mangalore Junction – Chennai Central will leave Mangalore at 2.45 p.m. on September 15 and 22 and reach Chennai at 7.45 a.m.

NEW DELHI : 
The Delhi High Court has upheld a single-judge bench’s ruling that a person who has served as a member of the Railway Claims Tribunal would be ineligible for a second term.A bench of Acting Chief Justice B D Ahmed and Justice Vibhu Bakhru rejected the plea of Rajan Sharma, former member (Judicial), against the previous order turning down his petition challenging the appointment of A B S Naidu as new member and not giving him a second term.Rajan Sharma had served a five-year term from March 2005 as member (Judicial) and had applied for a second term.Interpreting the Railway Claims Tribunal Act, the bench said, “There is no ambiguity in the language of clause (c) of Section 10 of the Act...It is expressly provided that a member on ceasing to hold office would be eligible for appointment as a Chairman or Vice Chairman of the Railways Claim Tribunal or as a Chairman, Vice Chairman or Member of any other Tribunal.

“We are unable to read clause (c) of Section 10 the Act in any other manner except to mean that the eligibility of a member to be re-appointed on ceasing to hold office as a member of the Tribunal is restricted to being appointed only as a Vice Chairman or Chairman of the Tribunal and thus the appellant (Sharma) would be ineligible for being re-appointed as a member of the Tribunal for a second term.”

In his petition, Sharma said, “Action of the respondent 1 (Ministry of Railways) ignoring him from appointment as Member (J) is void, illegal and violative of Article 14, 16 and 21 of the Constitution.”

According to the petitioner, following an advertisement in May 2011, he had applied for the post and was interviewed by the Selection Board comprising a Supreme Court judge, Chairman of Railway Board and Chairman of Tribunal and Secretary of Law Ministry.

Claiming that the selection list was approved by the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister, Sharma said he was not considered on the ground that there was no legal provision for re-appointment of a member for the tribunal.

Sharma further said the government ignored his application and appointed Naidu, who was much junior to him.

Union Railway Minister M. Mallikarjun Kharge said that the replacement of the railway freight wagons with fourth-generation wagons, which boast additional carrying capacity and a longer lifespan, was going as per schedule.Speaking at a presentation on the replacement process at the Vasavadatta Cement Guest House here on Sunday, Mr. Kharge said that the new wagons, with a single sliding door and high-security locking system, would replace the old double-door wagons.Mr. Kharge said that another 12,722 fourth generation wagons would be required across India.

Advantages

The new wagons presented a sleek look with increased height and shorter length. The carrying capacity of the new wagons is 70.8 tonnes, as compared to the old wagons which could carry 64 to 66 tonnes. The lifespan of the older wagons is 25 years, while that of the fourth-generation wagons is 30 years.

Officials of the South Central Railway told the Minister that 3,306 new wagons have replaced the second and third generation versions. Another 1,396 wagons were needed to finish the job.

Mr. Kharge wanted to know why there was a shortage of wagons, particularly during the harvest season, in States such as Punjab and Haryana, and why officials were not introducing the required number of wagons. Railway officials told the Minister that there was no proposal before the ministry to introduce new wagons. These wagons would only be needed during the times of harvest, and the rest of the time these wagons would be sitting idle, causing losses to the railways.

However, the railways is according top priority to the movement of foodgrains during harvest season.

Later, the Minister held a closed-door meeting with officials of the Railway Department and the Vasavadatta Cement Factory.

NEW DELHI : 
The Delhi High Court has upheld a single-judge bench’s ruling that a person who has served as a member of the Railway Claims Tribunal would be ineligible for a second term.A bench of Acting Chief Justice B D Ahmed and Justice Vibhu Bakhru rejected the plea of Rajan Sharma, former member (Judicial), against the previous order turning down his petition challenging the appointment of A B S Naidu as new member and not giving him a second term.Rajan Sharma had served a five-year term from March 2005 as member (Judicial) and had applied for a second term.Interpreting the Railway Claims Tribunal Act, the bench said, “There is no ambiguity in the language of clause (c) of Section 10 of the Act...It is expressly provided that a member on ceasing to hold office would be eligible for appointment as a Chairman or Vice Chairman of the Railways Claim Tribunal or as a Chairman, Vice Chairman or Member of any other Tribunal.

“We are unable to read clause (c) of Section 10 the Act in any other manner except to mean that the eligibility of a member to be re-appointed on ceasing to hold office as a member of the Tribunal is restricted to being appointed only as a Vice Chairman or Chairman of the Tribunal and thus the appellant (Sharma) would be ineligible for being re-appointed as a member of the Tribunal for a second term.”

In his petition, Sharma said, “Action of the respondent 1 (Ministry of Railways) ignoring him from appointment as Member (J) is void, illegal and violative of Article 14, 16 and 21 of the Constitution.”

According to the petitioner, following an advertisement in May 2011, he had applied for the post and was interviewed by the Selection Board comprising a Supreme Court judge, Chairman of Railway Board and Chairman of Tribunal and Secretary of Law Ministry.

Claiming that the selection list was approved by the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister, Sharma said he was not considered on the ground that there was no legal provision for re-appointment of a member for the tribunal.

Sharma further said the government ignored his application and appointed Naidu, who was much junior to him.