ProUI

BHUBANESWAR: A railway employee has in a petition filed in the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Cuttack, alleged that he was victimized for seeking information under RTI Act. The information relates to receipt and expenditure of money for conduct of some sports activities, organised by the East Coast Railway (ECoR) here in different years.Chief office superintendent (mechanical) of ECoR Subhendu Sekhar Kar has in his April 2 petition with CAT also alleged that he was shunted to Sambalpur because he sought information under RTI Act.ECoR denied Kar was victimized and attributed his transfer to 'routine official procedure'. "We are alert to the development. The CAT order will be followed," chief public relations officer of ECoR R N Mohapatra told TOI.In his petition, Kar said he had on December 5, 2012, sought information on sanction and expenditure of funds towards different heads in the All India Railway Athletic Championship in 2005, 2008 and 2012 and All India Railway Volleyball Championship in 2006, 2010, 2011 and 2012 held in Bhubaneswar. On April 1, he received his transfer letter and a letter saying no information would be provided to him.

Challenging the transfer order, Kar moved CAT and maintained that the information he sought under RTI might have put positions of some senior officials in danger. In his petition, Kar wrote, "I suspect some office-bearers of East Coast Railway Sports Association (ECoRSA) misappropriated huge amounts by way of submitting false bills in some sports events here in comparison to the expenditure incurred in similar sports activities held at other places by the Railways."

"While the feedback of some players, who were staying at Kalinga Stadium, on arrangements and provision of basic amenities by ECoRSA was adverse, huge money was shown as spent in the bills. That was the reason why they were hesitating to share the information with me," Kar said in his petition.

"I was instructed by the first appellate authority (senior deputy general manager, ECoR) to refrain from activities related to RTI. Instead of giving me information within one month, I was made to run from pillar to post," Kar added in his petition.

The CAT on April 8 imposed status quo on his transfer and directed him to put forth his grievance before the general manager of ECoR. "The applicant is directed to make a suitable representation by placing all the facts before the ECoR's general manager, seeking appropriate relief within a period of 10 days. Status quo in respect of the applicant shall be maintained till the representation is disposed by the concerned authority," the CAT order said.

BHUBANESWAR: A railway employee has in a petition filed in the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Cuttack, alleged that he was victimized for seeking information under RTI Act. The information relates to receipt and expenditure of money for conduct of some sports activities, organised by the East Coast Railway (ECoR) here in different years.Chief office superintendent (mechanical) of ECoR Subhendu Sekhar Kar has in his April 2 petition with CAT also alleged that he was shunted to Sambalpur because he sought information under RTI Act.ECoR denied Kar was victimized and attributed his transfer to 'routine official procedure'. "We are alert to the development. The CAT order will be followed," chief public relations officer of ECoR R N Mohapatra told TOI.In his petition, Kar said he had on December 5, 2012, sought information on sanction and expenditure of funds towards different heads in the All India Railway Athletic Championship in 2005, 2008 and 2012 and All India Railway Volleyball Championship in 2006, 2010, 2011 and 2012 held in Bhubaneswar. On April 1, he received his transfer letter and a letter saying no information would be provided to him.

Challenging the transfer order, Kar moved CAT and maintained that the information he sought under RTI might have put positions of some senior officials in danger. In his petition, Kar wrote, "I suspect some office-bearers of East Coast Railway Sports Association (ECoRSA) misappropriated huge amounts by way of submitting false bills in some sports events here in comparison to the expenditure incurred in similar sports activities held at other places by the Railways."

"While the feedback of some players, who were staying at Kalinga Stadium, on arrangements and provision of basic amenities by ECoRSA was adverse, huge money was shown as spent in the bills. That was the reason why they were hesitating to share the information with me," Kar said in his petition.

"I was instructed by the first appellate authority (senior deputy general manager, ECoR) to refrain from activities related to RTI. Instead of giving me information within one month, I was made to run from pillar to post," Kar added in his petition.

The CAT on April 8 imposed status quo on his transfer and directed him to put forth his grievance before the general manager of ECoR. "The applicant is directed to make a suitable representation by placing all the facts before the ECoR's general manager, seeking appropriate relief within a period of 10 days. Status quo in respect of the applicant shall be maintained till the representation is disposed by the concerned authority," the CAT order said.

RANCHI: The performance of three former chief ministers of Jharkhand - Shibu Soren of the JMM, Babulal Marandi of the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) and independent Madhu Koda - have remained in the limelight of national politics for all good and bad reasons as MPs has been disappointing since they were elected to the 15th Lok Sabha.While Soren, Marandi have never raised any questions in Parliament in the past four years, most of them barring Besra have attended less than 30% of the sittings.According to the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha websites and analysis done by PRS Legislative Research, an independent agency, the national average of MPs' attendance has been 77% but in respect of Jharkhand leaders, it dropped to 67%.Soren was absent from Parliament during 2009 and 2010 winter session, whereas Koda being in jail has missed 7 of the 13 sittings of the 15th Lok Sabha. Despite poor attendance of 24%, koda has, however, raised 71 questions and also participated in debates ten times. Rajmahal MP Devidhan Besra of the BJP also did not raise any question in the House.Godda MP of BJP Nishikant Dubey is one among the best performers from the state who has not only registered 95% attendance but asked 690 questions as against the national average of 255 questions. He has participated in 77 debates and has also moved five private members' bill. Dubey said if he was not active in Parliament, he would have nothing to answer to the electorate. "Our voters are innocent and want to see us raise their issues in Parliament on television and unless we participate in debates, the voice of our people would never reach the national level," he said.

Citing some of the projects sanctioned by the Union government, Dubey said ultra mega power project at Rs 30,000 ccore, Jindals Steel Plant at Rs 10,000 crore, 127 km railway line, the country's first solar power plant and solar illumination on 52-km stretch would not have been possible if the issues were not raised.

Another JMM MP Kameshwar Baitha, who is a known former Maoist, too, believes firmly on the parliamentary system. Being in jail for long, he could attend six of the 13 sittings but in that period he has raised 227 questions and participated in 31 debates. "I have described the Maoists as a part of society who picked arms because of long history of exploitation and I believe that a voice from within the Maoist would help the government draw their plans effectively," he said.

BJP MPs Yashwant Sinha (Hazaribag), Sudarshan Bhagat (Lohardaga) and P N Singh (Dhanbad) have also been active in terms of attending most of the sittings of Parliament. While Bhagat and Singh raised 347 and 232 questions respectively, Sinha could ask 78 questions but he participated in 40 debates.

If Biatha is opposite to his own party chief Soren in seriousness, Ajay Kumar of JVM (P) too is opposite to his party boss Marandi in terms of attending sessions and asking questions. Kumar raised 126 questions and has presented three private members' bills. Independent MP from Chatra Inder Singh Namdhari recorded 90% attendance where as Giridih MP Ravindra Pandey 88%. Pandey has, however, participated in 135 debates and raised 542 questions more than double of national average.

The upgrade of platform 6 and 7 has eased congestion and eliminated delays

Tiruchi junction is one of the major railway stations in the Southern Railway and handles 120 express and passenger trains and passenger traffic of about 50,000 people a day. More trains have been introduced via Tiruchi junction in the recent Railway Budget.After the completion of ongoing doubling work of Villupuram-Vriddhachalam-Tiruchi- Dindigul and Ponmalai-Thanjavur sections, the number of trains and the passenger patronage of Tiruchi junction is expected to increase manifold.The station had only five platforms for several years and this had become inadequate after many lines converted into broadgauge. Two passenger trains used to be sometimes parked on the same platform for want of space.This not only confused the commuters, but also led to a fatal accident. The Railways later upgraded platforms 6 and 7 to broadgauge standards easing the congestion. Now, trains are chug into all the seven platforms at the junction. The upgrade of these two platforms has reduced the delay in arrival and departure of trains to a large extent. Additional berthing tracks would improve efficiency of yard operations, according to railway sources.

These platforms have been developed with a capacity to accommodate 24 coaches. Both platforms have been provided with washable concrete aprons for easy and quick cleaning of the track surface and maintaining hygiene.

For the benefit of the senior citizens and sick and for the purpose of transporting goods and luggage, a pucca trolley path has been provided to platforms 6 and 7. Now, the battery car available at the junction to carry senior citizens and people with disabilities can also drive on these platforms.

Tracks for trains going towards Chennai, Rameswaram, Erode, Madurai and Thanjavur branch off at Tiruchi junction. Of them, trains proceeding to Chennai, Rameswaram, Thanjavur and Madurai could be received in the newly developed platforms.

At present, temporary coach indication boards have been provided on these platforms as it will take time for installing the digital boards. A platform shelter is another facility proposed and the preparation of estimates is under progress. Granite slab seating facility, coach watering facility, which is a must for the platforms receiving express trains, are the other facilities planned here and these projects will be taken up shortly, a senior railway official told The Hindu.

The commissioning of the platforms 6 and 7, enabled in launching development works on platform number one. The platform is closed for these works, which are nearing completion.

The Tiruchi Division of the Southern Railway has taken up capacity augmentation work in Tiruchi Railway Junction to cope with the increasing passenger traffic. As part of this programme, one goods line with a capacity of holding 58 wagons has been laid. The dedicated goods line will ease the goods movement through the junction which otherwise has to pass through the passenger platforms.

Appreciating the Tiruchi Railway Division for commissioning the newly developed platforms, S.P. Rajendran, president of the Lions Club of Tiruchi Premier, says the seating arrangements and installation of digital coach indication boards should be completed at the earliest. Moreover the mini-reverse osmosis plant should be set up on this island platform for the supply of purified drinking water.

Three stabling lines with a capacity of holding 24 coaches and one VIP siding with two coaches capacity have come up at Tiruchi junction. The stabling lines provided at the southern side of the platform will drastically reduce the criss-cross shunting movements in the Tiruchi yard and will increase the stabling capacity of the yard. All these facilities have enabled in the speedy reception and despatch of trains at Tiruchi junction which in turn is expected to improve the punctuality and benefit passengers immensely.

The major project of additional entry and approach work executed at an outlay of Rs. 86.51 lakh had been completed. This facility should be thrown open at the earliest, pleads A. Abdul Saleem, a businessman of Thanjavur road in the city.

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BHUBANESWAR: A railway employee has in a petition filed in the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Cuttack, alleged that he was victimized for seeking information under RTI Act. The information relates to receipt and expenditure of money for conduct of some sports activities, organised by the East Coast Railway (ECoR) here in different years.Chief office superintendent (mechanical) of ECoR Subhendu Sekhar Kar has in his April 2 petition with CAT also alleged that he was shunted to Sambalpur because he sought information under RTI Act.ECoR denied Kar was victimized and attributed his transfer to 'routine official procedure'. "We are alert to the development. The CAT order will be followed," chief public relations officer of ECoR R N Mohapatra told TOI.In his petition, Kar said he had on December 5, 2012, sought information on sanction and expenditure of funds towards different heads in the All India Railway Athletic Championship in 2005, 2008 and 2012 and All India Railway Volleyball Championship in 2006, 2010, 2011 and 2012 held in Bhubaneswar. On April 1, he received his transfer letter and a letter saying no information would be provided to him.

Challenging the transfer order, Kar moved CAT and maintained that the information he sought under RTI might have put positions of some senior officials in danger. In his petition, Kar wrote, "I suspect some office-bearers of East Coast Railway Sports Association (ECoRSA) misappropriated huge amounts by way of submitting false bills in some sports events here in comparison to the expenditure incurred in similar sports activities held at other places by the Railways."

"While the feedback of some players, who were staying at Kalinga Stadium, on arrangements and provision of basic amenities by ECoRSA was adverse, huge money was shown as spent in the bills. That was the reason why they were hesitating to share the information with me," Kar said in his petition.

"I was instructed by the first appellate authority (senior deputy general manager, ECoR) to refrain from activities related to RTI. Instead of giving me information within one month, I was made to run from pillar to post," Kar added in his petition.

The CAT on April 8 imposed status quo on his transfer and directed him to put forth his grievance before the general manager of ECoR. "The applicant is directed to make a suitable representation by placing all the facts before the ECoR's general manager, seeking appropriate relief within a period of 10 days. Status quo in respect of the applicant shall be maintained till the representation is disposed by the concerned authority," the CAT order said.

At the 58th Railway Week, former Delhi Metro Rail Corporation chief E. Sreedharan spoke from experience

In a city where residents combat an ever-increasing amount of litter in public places, solutions are hard to come by.Former Delhi Metro Rail Corporation chief E. Sreedharan said, from his experience in Delhi Metro he had observed people may not deface or litter the station if it is maintained well.“People will be reluctant to litter any station or even trains if they are clean. They will begin to respect it instead of defacing it,” he said.Speaking at the 58 Railway Week function, he said one should be indifferent to success or failure in work. “The joy lies in performing the duty to the benefit of others. Bhagavad Gita is an administrative gospel that gives guidance and teaches how to perform one’s duty and also not be attached to fruits of his action.”At the event, general manager of Southern Railway, Rakesh Misra said Southern Railway earned Rs. 6036 crore and showed an overall growth of 7.7 per cent over the actuals of the preceding year.“To improve the mobility of passengers, 22 pairs of new trains were introduced and 13 pairs were extended. Also, for the summer, we have already notified that we may run as many as 152 special trains,” he said.

In the wake of the train accident near Arakkonam, one-minute silence was observed as a mark of respect for the person who died in the accident.

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NEW DELHI: With over 2 lakh litres of water being used every day, the depot at Khyber Pass in north Delhi may well be one of the most watered areas in Delhi. All that water is recycled for irrigation, say Delhi Metro officials. As you walk into the depot late at night, though, it's the meticulous maintenance work going on that first strikes you. As a maintenance and safety official of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation says, the trains are the much-monitored babies, not left alone for a single minute. "At every stage of operation and maintenance, the train is under someone's charge...no one without proper authorization is allowed to enter it," says Mangu Singh, managing director, DMRC.

Considering the Rs 80 crore tag, it is not surprising that the coaches are so jealously guarded. The train goes through physical checks every day, along with constant monitoring by a team of professionals, so that opera- t i o n schedules can be maintained and the train doesn't stop in the middle of the track. "Two teams keep a constant watch—the PPIO and those in the operations control centre," says the Delhi Metro official. The PPIO is the planning, progress and investigation organization at the depot, which keeps the schedule of the train maintenance as well as does a physical check every day, based on a pre-determined schedule. The third layer of checking is done by the train operator (TO), who not only gauges the operational running but also keeps an eye out for anything that requires a closer look once in the depot.

In fact, the constant exchange of data be-tween the PPIO and the OCC determines the maintenance plan of the train at the depot. The maintenance is broken up into parts: the under-frame, the interiors and the roof. "It's not just scheduled maintenance. We also do active, preventive maintenance," adds the official. The basic check is done every day at the depot. If a problem is detected, it goes into the IBL or the workshop, depending on the snag. If the train is going into revenue service without any major maintenance being planned, it only goes through a routine cleaning. If a thorough cleaning is scheduled —which is done every three days—then it will go through the automated washing process. The schedule is rigorous, say Delhi Metro officials. "The train runs approximately 400km every day, so maintenance is extremely important," he adds. There are three-day, 15-day, 45-day, 3-monthly, 6-monthly and annual schedules. In the basic mode, safety features of the under-frame, horn, wipers, headlights and announcement systems are checked. After every 15 days, cleaning and measurement of the roof, the under-frame and interior features is the norm. The 45-day maintenance schedule includes cleaning, measurement, monitoring and part over-hauling. The rest of the activities like replacement of oils are scheduled in the later maintenance. The annual schedule is the most exhaustive, as by that time, the train has travelled more than a lakh kilometres. Maintenance of the wheels and the brakes is an important part of the schedule. The train is divided into the motor car and the driving trailer, both of which form a unit. The wheels on the DT need to be changed every eight-nine months while those of the motor car last 15-16 months. Similarly, the brakes on the DT need to be changed every 45 days while those on the motor car last five months.

The roof is also a delicate part and needs to be cleaned every 45 days. "The pantograph on the roof has a carbon coating, which sees regular wear and tear every day. To get rid of the carbon residue, the roof needs to be cleaned, so that corrosion does not occur," explained the official.

Ticket collectors are of two types: Station Ticket Collector who is posted at a particular station and the other, called section squad, who switches from one place to another. It could be Guindy station one day, and Tambaram another day. Lady squads are assigned ladies compartments. Based on the factor of mobility, a station ticket collector is set a monthly target of Rs.12,000 a month and a section squad, Rs.35,000.Beyond the regular hierarchy, stands a one-man squad who can swoop down on any station. Given this leeway, more is expected of him. He has to rake in Rs. 75,000 a month.An official, on condition of anonymity, said, “The penalty for not purchasing a ticket is Rs. 250 plus the class-based fare. If a commuter travels first-class with a second class ticket, he is obliged to pay the remaining amount. And he will be issued a strict warning.”In the case of season ticket-holders forgetting to bring their passes, the squads use their discretion to penalise them or let them off with a warning. A few squads will take their ID cards and ask them to bring the amount the next day.According to the rule-book, ticketless travellers should be produced in the RPF court. But it is practically impossible. “Those detained at the station have to be given food. That means expenditure. Hence, most often, we will let them go with a strict warning after collecting whatever they have and asking them to bring the rest of the fine money the next day,” an official said.

When asked about the most persistent offenders, ticket collectors point to vendors. Said the official, “Besides travelling ticketless, most of them flout a major rule: not to sell any goods on the train.” Probably, they subscribe to Cho’s view on railway tickets.