ProUI

Even three years after many families were displaced from their homes along the Mulanthuruthy-Kottayam, Harippad-Ambalappuzha sectors as part of doubling works, the railways are yet to provide them the compensatory jobs as per the job-for-land policy of the Indian railways.Fed up with the callousness shown by the authorities, the evictees have now approached the Kerala High Court seeking intervention in the matter.According to them, over 450 families, majority of who belong to the middle class income group, have been evicted along the once thickly populated belts, so that the railways could go ahead with the project which is considered as an answer to the rail bottlenecks in the state.“When acquisition procedures began in 2010 we were given ‘n’ number of promises, such as market price for our land as well as a permanent job in the railways.“Today, most of the families have been given less than the promised amount. Not even a single person has been given a railway job,” said a petitioner who moved the High Court, on conditions of anonymity.

“At least 360 families were displaced along the Mullanthuruthy-Piravom-Vaikom-Kurippunthura route alone,” he said.

In the Harippad-Ambalappuzha route, more than 100 families have been displaced so far. “The Railways asked us to move out of our land on promise of a job in the railways,” he added.

Suma from Ambalapuzha, whose land was acquired for the project and has been living at a rented house in Pathanamthitta since then, said, “I had to give away the only piece of land I had.

“For the last two years I have been walking up and down the Tahlsidar’s office, but to no avail,” Suma said.

Meanwhile, it is alleged that the Construction Wing of the T’Puram Division concerned with the task have not shown much interest in this regard. Chief Administrative Officer of the Railways, Kerala, was not available for comments.

CHENNAI: Can diabetes and a blood sugar level of 140mg/dL be cited as reasons to deny employment to a person?

No, the Madras high court has said, adding, "There cannot be a blanket ban on giving public employment to persons with diabetes. Medical experts opine that diabetes is a condition where the body fails to utilise the ingested glucose properly. Further, there is a strong school of thought that a diabetic is not suffering from a disease, but only a disorder that could be managed."

Upholding a Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) order rejecting the railway administration's claim that a diabetic might not be able to discharge his/her works efficiently, a bench of Justice R Banumathi and Justice T S Sivagnanam said, "It is unfair on the part of the railway administration to reject a candidature on a single blood test."Manikandan, a commercial clerk in Southern Railway, died in harness in 2010. His wife Arockiammal applied to the railways for a job on compassionate grounds. In 2011, the railway administration informed that she was unfit on medical grounds, as her blood sugar level was around 140mg/dL.She then approached the CAT for remedy. The railways resisted her application, stating that compassionate appointment cannot be a matter of right and that she had been found medically unfit for the job. The tribunal, however, allowed her plea, and directed the railways to appoint her under compassionate grounds.The present appeal in the high court was filed by the railway administration.

Dismissing the appeal, the division bench said that, as of a 2011 survey, 62.4million (as against 1.2 billion Indian population) are diabetic. It is slated to increase in 2030 to 110.1 million. "Diabetes usually has no impact on an individual's ability to do a particular job, and in most cases the employer may not even know that his employee has diabetes. As the impact of diabetes and its management varies among individuals, there cannot be a blanket ban on giving public employment to persons with diabetes.

The judges said they were conscious of the legal position that there is no vested right to secure appointment on compassionate grounds, but said that they had jurisdiction to step in when they find that there has not been an objective consideration or arbitrary approach by the authorities. Pointing out that Arockiammal was otherwise eligible for the employment, the judge said, "to deny employment to her on speculation that what might occur in future is unreasonable."

The judges then directed the railway administration to comply with the CAT direction on giving employment to Arockiammal within three months.

Medical experts point out that people with diabetes should not be discriminated based on their condition as it is treatable and does not interfere with the person's routine life. "Diabetes is a very common disorder and no one can deny a job for a diabetic on these grounds. Diabetics are healthy people who have a treatable condition and it does not affect their work in any way," said diabetologist Dr A Ramachandran, Chairman, Dr A Ramachandran's Diabetes Hospitals.

Raksha Bandhan Special Trains announced for controlling extra rush of passengers during the festival season 2013...

CHANDIGARH: There's an adventure excursion coming on offer from the stable of the Indian Railways: A wildlife safari with a vintage steam engine. The 1930s steam loco was used to haul passengers between India and Pakistan, will now chug the famous tourist train between Delhi Cantonment and Sarisa wildlife tiger reserve at Alwar in Rajasthan. The loco, built by the then Lancashire-based British locomotive builder Vulcan Foundries, was rehabilitated at the Amritsar railway workshop on Friday. "The loco will hit the tracks by November this year. India has now finally arrived on the international steam scene and is a pioneer in this field," said Ashwani Lohani, chief mechanical engineer, Northern Railways. He is also piloting a 'steam movement' in the country. Because of its massive repair cost - Rs 10 lakh - and the days involved, the railway %officials have named the loco 'Angad' after the mythological figure from Ramayana. The repair work included rebuilding of tender body, axle replacement and re-fitting of leaf spring, motion component, brake-gear and cattle-guard. "The monkey prince Angad was immovable when his feet were once planted firmly. Hence the name," said G C singh, deputy chief mechanical engineer, Amritsar railway workshop. Angadh is the third steam locomotive that was rehabilitated at Amritsar railway workshop after Akbar and Sher-e-Punjab last year. Technically known as XE 3634, it is the only surviving X- class broad gauge locomotive in India at present which runs on steam. It is the heaviest among all steam locos so far to haul any train. With its engine weight of 198 metric tonne (MT) and 14 feet and eight inches, was the biggest in the world during 1920s. The loco has a rare 2-8-2 wheel arrangement which renders it the vintage look 93 of these locomotives were built till 1946, of which 35 went to Pakistan and 58 were retained in India.

SUNDAY:
DMK president M. Karunanidhi on Saturday warned of rail blockades and black flags on houses and commercial establishments across Tamil Nadu if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did not declare that India would not participate in the CHOGM in Colombo, Indian media reported.Indian media quoted Karunanidhi in a statement, as saying: "The prime minister without neglecting Tamils' demand should categorically and openly declare that India will not participate in the meet."He said the Sri Lankan government has lost credibility in the international forum and it is trying to dilute the provisions of 13th amendment to its constitution.

Train service on the Chennai Beach-Velachery MRTS line was disrupted on Saturday evening after smoke emanated from the brake biding rack beneath the ladies compartment of a train. The police said around 5.50 p.m., a few woman passengers noticed smoke coming from beneath the compartment of the train that had halted at Thirumalai (Mylapore) station and alerted railway officials. The commuters were evacuated and repairs were carried out. Train services resumed at 6.05 p.m.

Weekly special trains between Yeshwantpur and Mangalore Central will be introduced via Palakkad from August 18 to September 2. Train No.06565 will leave Yeshwantpur on Sundays at 11.55 p.m.Train No. 06566 will leave Mangalore Central on Mondays at 1.30 p.m.The service of the weekly special trains leaving Yeshwantpur on Sundays will be available from August 18 to September 1 and that of trains leaving Mangalore Central on Mondays from August 19 to September 2, a press release from Palakkad railway division here said on Saturday.These special trains will have one 2 tier AC coach, one 3 tier AC coach, seven sleeper coaches, and six unreserved general coaches, the release said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday exuded confidence that the ambitious Lucknow Metro Rail project, to ease traffic and transportation problem of the State capital, would start in time.While releasing the ‘Development Agenda of UP 2013-14’, Mr. Yadav said, “After the Lucknow project, which is a priority of the State government, projects for other cities would be taken up”.Mr. Yadav was presented the model of the proposed project at his residence on Saturday. He added that the funds for the extension of metro in Ghaziabad have been arranged.Housing and Urban Planning Principal Secretary Sadakant said details of the project were being worked out so that the first phase of the Rs.6,757-crore project could be started by the targeted date of December 2013.All efforts are being made to obtain necessary approvals and financial sanctions from the Centre, he said, adding that operations are expected to commence in December 2016.A modified Detailed Project Report had been approved by the high-powered committee headed by the Chief Secretary, Mr. Sadakant said.The constitution of the Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) is under way with the memorandum and articles of the association having been prepared, he said.To expedite the work, an interim consultant is required to prepare detailed designs for which two specialist agencies -- RITES and DMRC -- have been asked to submit proposals, he said, adding that the interim consultant would be selected by the end of this month.

The DMRC is working on the depot design for north-south corridor of the first phase, he said.

The underground portion of the north-south corridor had been reduced from 7.5 km to approximately 3.5 km from Charbagh to Hazratganj, Mr. Sadakant said. Twenty-two stations are proposed in the first phase, out of which three are underground and 19 elevated.

An estimated 6.45 lakh passengers are likely to use this corridor in the year 2020. The peak-hour-peak-direction traffic (PHPDT) of this corridor is estimated to be 20,976 in 2020. One rake would consist of six coaches with a passenger carrying capacity of 1,574. Initially, the train will run at an interval of 7 to 14 minutes but with the increase in traffic, the interval will be reduced to 2 to 4 minutes. - PTI

Chandigarh:
Taking cognisance of curfew in Jammu and Kashmir, a total of 80 Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF) personnel have been deployed to escort eight express trains plying between Ambala and Jammu stations.The trains in which the RPSF men have been deployed along with the Railway Protection Force (RPF) men are the Malwa Express, Swaraj Express, Dee Uhp AC superfast and Jat Durg superfast.Sources in the Northern Railway said a company comprising 80 RPSF men had been sent to the Ambala station for deployment on the trains.Sources in the Railways said seven RPSF personnel along with two RPF men would escort each train and around 20 RPF personnel were deployed at the Ambala station to inspect all trains plying from the station.Railway Senior Divisional Security Commissioner Mohinder Singh said the RPSF was a reserve force which is usually deployed during disturbances for the security of the passengers.

Records revealed that more than 20 trains were plying between Ambala and Jammu. Officials said the trains were shortlisted for additional security as they were prone to attack by anti-social elements.

A meeting pertaining to railway matters of Coastal Karnataka will be held at the Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI) Hall at Bunder in Mangalore at 3.30 p.m. on Wednesday. The meeting is being jointly organised by the KCCI and Udupi Railway Yatri Sangha. Interested persons from all the three Coastal districts are requested to attend the meeting, said a press release issued by R.L. Dias, president of the Sangha, here on Saturday.