ProUI

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.

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.

After much delay the Churchgate-Dahanu local will finally run and the occasion is the completion of 160 years of Indian Railways on Tuesday.With the Indian Railways completing 160 years on April 16, the city’s railways have also organised a host of events and exhibitions.“As the first train ran on April 16, we will run our Churchgate-Dahanu train on April 16. It will be the 160 year gift of Indian Railways to Mumbaikars,” Sharat Chandrayan, chief spokesperson of Western Railway told dna.The Western Railway has also lined up several interactive programmes, events and exhibitions throughout the week starting on Monday where people can participate.“This time, there will be public participation and it will be a grand show,” Chandrayan added. The Central Railway is, however, still in planning mode. “We are still undertaking meetings and a final programme line-up is yet to be done,” AK Singh, spokesperson of the Central Railway said.  The Dahanu train is a welcome gesture for Mumbaikars.“I was one of the first person who had been pushing for it and the railways had promised me so in the early 90s. I am very happy that it is finally happening,” he said.The Mumbai suburban section of the WR was extended from Virar to Dahanu Road in the year 1998 by then railway minister Ram Naik, but has been served only by short distance diesel-run shuttle trains.

Although WR’s local services map always showed the suburban route extending right up to Dahanu Road, it is only on paper.

Suburban trains on the WR ply on the 60km distance between Churchgate and Virar which had led to massive urbanisation and formation of small townships along the border of the city in Virar and Vasai.

The 60-km stretch between Virar and Dahanu has seven stations, including Vaitarna, Saphale, Kelve Road, Palghar, Umroli, Boisar and Vangaon. There are a large number of passengers that travel from Mumbai to Virar and Dahanu for work every day.

KOLKATA (miningweekly.com) - Mahandi Railways, a joint venture (JV) dedicated coal transportation corridor project in the East Indian province of Orissa, would serve as a model for the federal government’s policy for participative rail connectivity and capacity augmentation, announced last year.

The $1-billion Mahanadi Railway project, one of the maiden independent coal freight corridors, was a JV between the Industrial Development Corporation of Orissa (IDCO) and Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC), two agencies operated by the provincial government of Orissa.

The dedicated corridor would entail construction of a 163-km of rail link across the coal reserves in the Talcher region of the province and would also include building 385 minor and major bridges, six rail flyovers and seven coal loading yards.

The first phase of construction would start next year and would be completed by 2017, while the second phase was scheduled for completion by 2023.

This would form part of the Indian government’s initiative to develop non-governmental railway models across the country to augment freight handling capacity through linking coal and iron-ore regions with trunk lines operated by the Indian government owned and managed monopoly, Indian Railways.

Under its new freight augmentation policy, the government has offered five generic models to encouraging private investments, including non-government railway model, JV model, railway projects on build-operate and transfer (BOT) awarded through competitive bidding, capacity augmentation-annuity model with provincial governments, local bodies, beneficiary industries and ports and projects by infrastructure and logistic providers, according to the policy document.

Elaborating on the IDCO-OMC rail project, an official in India’s Railway Ministry said that the model was an ideal indicator of infrastructure investments by mining companies and if policy guidelines were properly implemented, it could spur further investments against the backdrop of public-private-participation (PPP) in mining like that proposed by Coal India Limited (CIL).

CIL was already negotiating PPP collaborations under Mine Development and Operations (MDO) contracts with global miners like Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton and the Orissa rail project could be the model to attract mining infrastructure investments from foreign miners apart from direct mining projects, the official said.

Indian Railways touch the one-billion tons a year freight carrying 1.009-billion revenue earning freight during 2012/13 which was, however, 15-million ton lower than forecast.

The Indian Railways ability to create new coal and iron ore carrying capacity was severely limited by constraints of government resources and it was imperative to find supporting investments from mining sector considering that over 42% of railways freight constituted coal followed by cement 24%, iron ore 21% and steel 14%. The official added.

OMC has mining leases across 35 locations in eastern Indian coastal province of Orissa.  The company controls reserves of 400-million ton of iron-ore, 19-million ton of manganese, 28-million ton of chrome ore, 220-million ton of bauxite and 19-million ton of limestone.

नगर प्रतिनिधि, कटिहार : दिल्ली से अलीपुरद्वार जाने वाली 15484 डाउन ट्रेन के साधारण दर्जे की बोगी में एक अज्ञात व्यक्ति की लाश मिलने से ट्रेन कटिहार जंक्शन के प्लेटफार्म संख्या एक पर एक घंटे से भी अधिक समय तक खड़ी रही। बताया गया कि लाश किसी भिखारी की है। ट्रेन से लाश उतारने में विलंब के कारण पूर्व से ही देर से चल रही ट्रेन प्लेटफार्म संख्या एक पर खड़ी रही। सूचना मिलने पर जीआरपी मौके पर पहुंची, लेकिन स्वीपर के नहीं पहुंचने के कारण शव को उतारने में विलंब हुआ। स्वीपर भट्टू बांसफोर ने कहा कि बकाया राशि का भुगतान रेलवे द्वारा नहीं किए जाने से लाश उतारने में उन्होंने असमर्थता जताई। बाद में जीआरपी और स्टेशन प्रबंधक के समझाने-बुझाने के बाद स्वीपर लाश उतारने के लिए राजी हुआ। इस बीच यात्रियों में उहापोह की स्थिति बनी रही।

NAGPUR: A notorious couple, allegedly selling liquor near Nagpur railway station, has been giving tough time to the police. The couple, Feroze Khan and wife Rukhsar, having several offences against them has been continuing selling liquor illegally defying police action.On Sunday, too, sources claimed liquor was available through the racket outside the railway station despite it being a dry day due to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's birth anniversary. The racketeers are learnt to have made liquor available to prospective customers who contacted the right agent. It is learnt that the couple had been using RMS premises to stock liquor bottles. In order to dodge police, they would often occupy a place near the pan-kiosk on the footpath near Jai Stambh square without keeping any bottle in their own possession.The staffers from Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Sitabuldi police have been left hassled by the modus operandi of the couple. Apart from having a sizable team to operate their business, it is learnt that the coupe also often take the route of allegations and other manipulative resistance urging their female accomplices to scuffle with the cops to drag them into controversy.

It is learnt that Feroze has several offences including murder against him. It was fight for domination outside the railway premises that led to murder in which Feroze was likely involved. Unconfirmed sources said Feroze had grown close to some senior cops from Sitabuldi police during investigation of the murder in which he was booked. It After the murder case there was no action against him. Feroze had also been externed from city in 2009.

Rukhsar too has been booked in several offences which included assaults and threatening apart from cases made under Prohibition Act for selling liquor. It is learnt that the couple had once stormed into the Sitabuldi police station and assaulted a cop.

Senior divisional security commissioner, RPF, central railway, Ibrahim Sharif said the couple and their accomplices had been often caught and handed over to city police. "We have been co-ordinating with city police and trying to take action in turns. The couple had also made allegations against me before the court but it was not given much importance," said Sharif.

An empty train compartment attached to the Ganga Kaveri Express, stationed at the coach maintenance yard in Basin Bridge, was completely gutted in a fire accident on Saturday. Four other coaches of the train were affected and the adjacent Kaveri Express also suffered minor damages, a Government Railway Police (GRP) officer said.“It appears that electric short circuit is the cause of the fire accident reported at 8.40 am. It started in S1 coach of Ganga Kaveri Express, spread to an air-conditioned compartment, besides two coaches of Kaveri Express train, stationed near it,” the officer said. “Only one coach of Ganga Kaveri Express was fully damaged and the other four compartments were partially affected,” he added. Three fire tenders from Basin Bridge, Pulianthope and Washermanpet rushed to the spot to put out the fire. Asked about reports on usage of mobile charger in one of the coaches triggering the fire, the police said that no mobile charger was traced at the spot.“We received a complaint on the fire accident from the railways. Also the railway authorities would conduct an enquiry,” an official stated. However, sources with the railways claim that usage of inappropriate fuse could be a reason behind the electrical short circuit. In some trains, wires are used in the place of fuse, they alleged.Meanwhile, a Southern Railway spokesman claimed that the damage could be around `80 lakh. The spokesman said alternative coaches were attached to run the trains.

KOLKATA: Commuting by train has become cheaper for those living in the suburbs. The railways has launched a scheme from April 1 to issue annual and half-yearly season tickets. For commuters, this will imply greater convenience as they would no longer have to queue up at booking counters every month or after three months. There is only one problem. Should a commuter get his pocket picked, he stands to lose a substantial sum."This scheme has been launched to facilitate suburban commuters, the majority of who are season ticket holders.Apart from the monthly and quarterly season tickets, annual and half-yearly ones have also been introduced. The monthly and quarterly season tickets allow cheap travel to commuters. The fares will get cheaper if commuters opt for half-yearly and annual season tickets," an official said.The minimum suburban fare is Rs 5. Those opting for a monthly season ticket (for the minimum distance), have to pay Rs 85. If they travel to and fro for 26 days a month, the one-way fare comes to Rs 1.63. The annual seasonal ticket costs 10.8 times the monthly. Similarly, a half-yearly ticket costs 5.4 times the monthly.A commuter

A commuter paying Rs 85 for a monthly season ticket today would be paying Rs 918 for a yearly pass and Rs 459 for a half-yearly one. His one-way fare will come down to Rs 1.47.

"Not only will the yearly and half-yearly tickets be more convenient for commuters, they will be cheaper as well.

It will be a one-time investment for a commuter will be spared the inconvenience of purchasing a season ticket every month or after three months. It may actually encourage more people into going in for season tickets. For someone (particularly traders) travelling to an fro even 100 days a year or twice a week, it makes sense to purchase a yearly season ticket, instead of going in for daily return tickets," another official said.

Commuters feel these yearly or half-yearly season tickets should be printed on better stationery since the existing tickets are flimsy and won't last a year, particularly inside the pockets of commuters, they said

TO mark the 58th Railway Week, Western Railway (WR) will organise an exhibition at Churchgate station from April 15-19. This exhibition will showcase "the promising present and vibrant future" of WR along with glimpses of its rich heritage and the bygone era.

The main attractions of the exhibition include scrolls depicting interesting information about WR, attractive working models, social messages and photographs contributed by the railway enthusiasts. This is the first time that the WR has provided a platform for railway enthusiasts to participate in its exhibition. It will be open from 10 am-7 pm and entry is free.

The week-long exhibition will be inaugurated on Monday by Vinay Mittal, chairman, Railway Board, in the presence of Mahesh Kumar, general manager, Western Railway, and other officials.

Chief public relations officer Sharat Chandrayan said, "A quiz competition will be organised and will be open for all except railway employees."

A total of 121 Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (TPDK) cadre were removed from the Railway Junction here on Sunday after they attempted to stage a rail roko against manual scavenging.Speaking to reporters, TPDK general secretary K. Ramakrishnan said that more than 25,000 manual scavengers were facing serious health problems every year due to breathing toxic fumes.Those engaging manual scavengers should be prosecuted under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. There were more 16 lakh manual scavengers across India. Many of them, he claimed, have been employed by the railways, civic bodies like Corporation and Municipalities and even by the army.These institutions must be made to adopt machines for cleaning toilets, he added.Mr. Ramakrishnan called for enforcement of the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993, with required improvements for the current period.