"PR gimmicks have hollowed the working system": Mallikarjun Kharge slams Centre after Odisha 3-train accident
The Hindu
Mallikarjun Kharge accused the Centre of not implementing the suggestions for track renewals as reason for Odisha train accident.
Coming out hard against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre over the train accident in Odisha's Balasore, Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday accused the Centre of "not implementing" the suggestions and "reducing" in allocation for track renewals.
Taking to Twitter, Mallikarjun Kharge said, "Questions to the Modi government, after perhaps the most horrific train accident of independent India. Advertising and PR gimmicks have hollowed the working system of the government."
Odisha rail accident live updates- June 04
He accused the Centre of not filling the vacancies leading to a “scarcity of manpower”. “3 lakh posts are vacant in Railways, the posts of big officers are also vacant, the PMO recruits, why were they not filled in 9 years?,” Mr. Kharge questioned. He added, “The Railway Board itself has recently admitted that long working hours of loco pilots due to acute shortage of manpower is the main reason for the increasing number of accidents. Then why the posts were not filled?”
The Congress president further alleged that the Railways ministry didn’t implement the suggestion of repairing the signalling system. ”The Principal Chief Operating Manager of South Western Railway Zone urged and warned to repair the signalling system on 8 February 2023, citing a tragedy in Mysore in which two trains were saved from the collision. Why didn’t the Ministry of Railways implement it?,” Mr. Kharge said.
He added, “The Parliamentary Standing Committee in its 323rd report criticized the Railways for the “disregard” shown by the Railway Board towards the recommendations of the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS). It was said that CRS investigates only 8-10 per cent of accidents. Why CRS has not been strengthened? “
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