ProUI

Gross revenue of Rs.5,642 crore registered during 2012-13

The revenue earnings of Waltair Division, during 2012-13, at Rs.5,642 crore has registered an increase of 11 per cent compared to the earnings of 2011-12, Divisional Railway Manager Anil Kumar said in his Independence Day message at function organised by the Waltair Division of East Coast Railway on Thursday.The DRM unfurled the National Flag and took the Rashtriya Salami presented by the contingent of Railway Protection Force, Scouts and Guides and Civil Defence.Addressing the gathering Mr. Anil Kumar said that during 2012-2013 Waltair Division has registered an increase of 11 per cent in freight traffic and passenger earnings totalling gross revenue of Rs.5,642 crore. During the first quarter of the present financial year (April to July) the growth in the revenue was 22 per cent higher compared to corresponding period in the last financial year. Senior Divisional Engineer V.K. Singh read out the message of E Co R General Manager Indra Ghosh highlighting the developmental works and various welfare activities under taken over the East Coast Railway. The DRM announced cash awards to the performers and organisers to RPF contingent, Divisional Cultural Association, Civil Defence, Medical, Signal and Telecommunication, Engineering, Scouts and Guides, Electrical and to the Personnel Department.

E Co R Women’s Welfare Organization (E Co RWWO) president Anju Kumar, its vice president Kiranmayie and organisation members distributed 80 Horlicks bottles, fruits, biscuits and baby kits to patients at the Railway Main Hospital.

TDP celebrates I-Day

Meanwhile, the 67{+t}{+h}Independence Day was celebrated at the TDP office at Ramnagar with former MP M.V.V.S. Murthy hoisting the flag.

Former Minister Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy and Urban president Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar and a number of party men participated.

GVMC night shelter

Around 150 homeless persons staying in the night shelters of GVMC at Bhimnagar and Town Service Reservoir (TSR) celebrated Independence Day at the Bhimnagar shelter “Ashray.” Zone III Commissioner M. Viswanatham hoisted the flag. ARTD (Urban) secretary Pragada Vasu said the organisation worked with GVMC in implementation of the Supreme Court order and was happy that those living without a roof over their head were provided relief and were taking part in the celebration. Prizes were given away to winners in various competitions organised.

Blood donated

At KSR Green Valley gated community, the flat-owners welfare association organised blood donation. At the camp organised with the help of Rotary Blood Bank and under the supervision of cardiac surgeon and general surgeon K. Veerraju, 60 persons donated blood.

YMCA

At YMCA, president Krupadan Kumar hoisted the flag. Junior citizen Bharat Kumar administered an oath. Other office-bearers including B.V. Chandra Bob, Naveen Noel Anand and N. Srinivasa Rao participated.

Many critical infrastructure projects, including the newly-laid BG line between Kadur and Chikmagalur, were slated for commissioning shortly and this would pave way for better rail connectivity and efficient operation in the Mysore Railway Division, South Western Railway's Divisional Manager Vinod Kumar has said.As announced in the Railway Budget 2013-14, direct connectivity for new trains from the cultural capital of the state, Mysore, with prominent tourism destinations like Bijapur, Hampi, Badami and other places had been provided. It was the the first division in the SW Railway to introduce tokenless and colour light signaling system, he said, unfurling the Tricolour at the 67th Independence Day at the the Railway Sports Ground here.The originating loading on the division during the first four months of the present fiscal year was 1.047 million tones with freight revenue being Rs 145.88 crore. The marginal decline in loading and earnings compared with the corresponding period of previous year was due to a ban on transportation of export quality iron ore by the Centre. The division had maintained good safety record and the focus would continue to be on exhibiting "zero tolerance" towards train accidents.The punctuality of passenger trains had shown a significant improvement and exceeded the target of 98 per cent during the present year, at 97.41 per cent in case of express trains and 98.64 per cent for ordinary trains.

Vinod Kumar said, the division has taken a lead in energy conservation initiatives, noteworthy being setting up of two windmills to supply power at level crossings. Of the 43 electrified level crossings, 14 have solar power supply. Another significant achievement of the division was in planting trees at various stations, colonies, along the railway tracks with over 15,000 saplings having been planted during the present year to make the division green. After successfully implementing the 200,000 capacity rain water harvesting system near Chamundi Club, commissioning of many more rain water harvesting schemes were on the anvil.

Expressing happiness over the division constantly demonstrating improvements in its performance on all parameters, he said, the division had secured the 'overall efficiency shield' for three successive years. The prestigious National Tourism Award, instituted by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, under the category of "Best Tourist-friendly Railway Station" in India during 2011-12 was conferred on the Mysore Railway station.

The division had maintained a good safety record and focus would continue to be on exhibiting "zero tolerance" towards train accidents, the Divisional Railway Manager added.

G. SRINIVASAN
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Association says the train should be continued till a new train was introduced


Demand for continuing Rockfort express from Kumbakonam till the new Thanjavur-Chennai Express train is introduced has been growing in Thanjavur district as the people feel that they may lose a vital link to Chennai if the train is short-terminated in Tiruchi before introducing the new train.

People said that reservation had been stopped for Rockfort Express beyond August 28. It was assumed that the train would be stopped by then. If the train was stopped on August 28, people of Thanjavur district would be deprived of a vital link to Chennai. If the new Thanjavur-Chennai Express was introduced before that, it would cater to the demands of the people of the district, they said.

According to A. Giri, Vice-President, Thanjavur District Rail Users’ Association, people of Thanjavur and Kumbakonam had five trains to Chennai before gauge conversion which provided them 1,500 berths. “Now there are three trains — Rameswaram, Mannai express and Rockfort Express — which provide them 422 berths. Out of these, Rockfort Express alone provides them 250 berths. If this train was short-terminated without introducing the new Thanjavur-Chennai express, which had been announced in the last year budget and for which time table has been announced by the Southern Railway, then the people will be deprived of major percentage of berths they enjoy,” Mr. Giri said.

Therefore, the southern Railway should continue to operate the Rockfort Express from Kumbakonam till the new train was introduced, Mr. Giri added.

Running the train from Kumbakonam for a couple of months more would not be a problem. It would help the pilgrims who would throng Velankanni, where the festival of Basilica of Our Lady of Health begins on August 29 and would go on till September 12. Vinayaka Chathurthi falls on September 9, when the people would travel from Chennai to respective places, Mr. Giri said.

He expressed concern over the delay in introducing the new Thanjavur-Chennai Express. “All the three trains announced in Tiruchi division have been introduced. They are Mannai-Coimbatore Chemmozhi Express, Velankanni-Madras Egmore Link Express, Chennai-Karaikudi bi-weekly Express. Only the train from Thanjavur-Chennai has not been introduced so far. It should be introduced immediately,” he said.

V. Jeevakumar, Adviser to Train Passengers Association from Thanjavur to Tiruchi, said that senior citizens were using the Rockfort Express. Train remained the most convenient mode of transport for old people. Rockfort had been a convenient train for people of Kumbakonam and Thanjavur. If it was closed, then the people should be provided with an alternative.

As the new train had been announced, it should be introduced quickly.

K. Padmanabhan, president of Thanjavur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, echoed the same and said that Rockfort Express should be operated from Kumbakonam till the new train was introduced.

S.S. Palani Manickam, MP and former union minister, said he held discussions with General Manager of Southern Railway and Divisional Railway Manager, Tiruchi, regarding the demand. They promised to look into the matter.

ALLAHABAD: The general manager of North Central Railway AlokJohri inaugurated a new Physiotherapy Unit equipped with a range of facilities for railway employees at the Central Hospital."Railways is committed to the welfare of the employees. Besides, this promotes efficiency in work. The unit will enhance medical facilities at the hospital," Johri said.The new physiotherapy unit is equipped with facilities that include microwave therapy, short wave diathermy, laser therapy, interferential therapy, ultrasound, lumber and cervical traction, and wax bath. The unit has two well-trained and experienced physiotherapists working under the guidance of an orthopedic surgeon.Meanwhile, president of North Central Railway Women Welfare Organization Chitrangada Johri and president of Allahabad division of NCRWWO Bimla Rao distributed fruits and gifts to patients admitted in the NCR Central Hospital. Besides, gifts were also given to the hospital employees.Chief medical director Dr Padam Singh, medical director Dr Satish Chandra, additional general manager and all heads of the departments of NCR and railway officers of the zone and the division were present during the programme.

GUWAHATI: The Northeast Frontier Railway Construction Headquarters on Thursday celebrated the 67th Independence Day with patriotic fervour. General manager (construction) RK Singh in his speech highlighted the organization's performance and spoke about its future plans. He also urged all the employees to work with dedication. A cultural programme was organized on the occasion. Later, Singh inaugurated a newly constructed annexe office building in the headquarters complex.

What appeared to be a case of large-scale trafficking of children, who were intercepted by the police at New Delhi railway station on Friday, turned out to be a journey undertaken by 156 minors from Bihar and Nepal to study at a madrassa in Gujarat. The drama unfolded when the police got an anonymous call saying that children were being trafficked on board the Firozpur-Mumbai Janta Express. The minors first got off a train at the Anand Vihar station and were then taken to the New Delhi railway station to catch a train to Gujarat.Acting on the tip-off, the police, in coordination with a non-government organisation, tracked down the children. While 22 minors are from Nepal, the rest are from Katihar, Saharsa and Araria in Bihar. “They were accompanied by 11 adults. Since all the children could not be produced before the CWC, we requested CWC chairman Sushma Vij to visit the railway station for the proceedings,” said an officer.Accordingly, the CWC chairman and two Committee members interviewed the children, aged between seven and 15 years, and the adults. “They said they were on their way back to a madrassa at Bharuch in Gujarat after Id vacations. Most children were enrolled with the educational institution,” said Ms. Vij.The CWC chairman said: “It was certainly not a case of human trafficking. However, we wanted to conduct a thorough inquiry and crosscheck with their parents. Accordingly we drafted an order directing that they should be kept at a care home. But then some community leaders from the nearby areas of Jama Masjid and Nabi Karim reached there along with their supporters and said the situation would get aggravated if the children were not allowed to go. Following discussions, and to avoid any trouble, we decided to issue a fresh order restoring them to the adults travelling with them. We also crosschecked with the Bharuch Deputy Superintendent of Police about the madrassa before issuing the order.”

Saying that the children belong to poor families, Ms. Vij said it would not have been possible for their parents, especially those from Nepal, to come to the Capital for verification.

Another official wondered why children from Nepal were being taken to Gujarat for studies. “It does not seem reasonable. If educational institutions wish to extend support to children from poor economic background in Nepal, the purpose would be better served if they set up a centre in the same country,” he said.

Police intercepted 156 minors at New Delhi railway station while they were travelling to Gujarat for studies

General Manager of Southern Railway Rakesh Mishra has said that the developmental works at the Kozhikode railway station will be completed at the earliest. On his visit to Kozhikode on Friday, he said that demands put forth by the Malabar Chamber of Commerce, Malabar Train Action Committee, and the Malabar Rail Users’ Association would be considered.The demands made by the chamber and the action committee include extending the canopy of the platforms; foot over bridges connecting all platforms; a south-side entry to the station; and an international shopping complex on the station premises.They also suggested some changes at the West Hill, Vellayil, and Kallai railway stations in the city.The other demands are completion of the doubling of Shoranur-Mangalore line, installing automatic signalling system, electrification of the line, and reducing the running time of trains between the two stations. The demand for Kozhikode-Mysore line has been revived.

Increasing the number of compartments, expediting construction of coach factory in Palakkad, introduction of Mangalore-Kolkata line via Vijayawada, new train to Bokaro and New Delhi via Vijayawada and Nagpur, new train to Chennai, and Jan Sathabdhi Express between Kozhikode and Trichy are the other suggestions.

The Palakkad Railway Division, threatened with another bifurcation to create the proposed new Mangalore Division, has made record earnings in the first four months of the current financial year.In the passenger earnings, the division recorded an increase of 14.4 per cent from Rs.146.49 crore to Rs.167.59 crore from April to July compared to the corresponding figures of the previous year, said Divisional Railway Manager Piyush Agarwal.The division also increased its Goods earnings by 24.66 per cent from Rs.127.14 crore in the previous year to Rs.158.49 crore during this period.

Other earnings

Similar hike was also recorded in other coaching earnings from Rs.7.2 crore of last year to Rs.11.27 crore this financial year so far. The originating freight loading registered the highest-ever monthly earnings of Palakkad division — Rs. 47.1 crore — for the month of June.

Coal landing

Coal loading during June was 0.752 MT which is the best-ever loading in the history of Palakkad division.

Coal loading in the division for the months of April to July 2013 registered 2.70 MT, as compared to the corresponding figures of 1.81 MT of the previous year, he said.

Total loading

Similarly, the total loading rose to 3.33 MT from April to July of 2013 compared to 2.32 MT recorded for the corresponding period of 2012, Mr. Agarwal said.


The division increased its Goods earnings by 24.66 per cent

In the passenger earnings, it recorded a hike of 14.4 per cent

Planning Commission, Finance Ministry and HRD Ministry approval necessary

Indications are that the Southern Railway would find it difficult to fulfil its desire to get a Kendriya Vidyalaya started this year on the premises of Golden Rock Workshop (GOC).Although the proposal was stated to be at a mature stage earlier, the Planning Commission, the Finance Ministry, and the Human Resource Development Ministry have to grant timely approvals for the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) to take steps, according to an official source.Proposal“We have done our part. Officials of the Regional Office of Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, Chennai, had inspected the land meant for constructing the permanent buildings for the school and were satisfied with the temporary facilities made available at the Railway Mixed School,” Divisional Railway Manager, Tiruchi Division, Manjula Rangarajan, said.

According to KVS sources, there still exists a possibility to start the school this year in the event of the Southern Railway prevailing upon the Railway Board members in New Delhi to liaise with the ministries concerned for expediting the proposal to get the Kendriya Vidyalaya started this year.

500 employees

Hundreds of employees of the GOC and the Railways department as well as employees of the Airports Authority of India had been keenly awaiting the outcome of the proposal for a few years now. They were now required to educate their wards in the two KVs located more than 15 km away in the two defence establishments: Ordnance Factory and Heavy Alloy Penetrator Project, in the district.

As per KVS norms, a public sector undertaking can get a Kendriya Vidyalaya when there was a concentration of at least 500 employees, and when there are at least 200 children willing to be enrolled in different classes.

In the case of the proposed KV in GOC, the admission in the very first year would easily exceed 700, official sources said.


Officials concerned had inspected the proposed land

Railway and airport employees are keenly awaiting KV

A friendly football match between General Manager XI and President East Coast Railway Womens’ Welfare Organisation (ECoRWWO) XI was organised at Railway Stadium, Mancheswar on occasion of celebration of Independence Day. Indra Ghosh, General Manager, East Coast Railway, inaugurated the match. GM’s XI defeated President ECoRWWO XI.