Railway jobs for sabotage tip-off
Mamata offers employment to those who report on accidents also
Perturbed over a sudden spurt in rail mishaps, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday proposed providing jobs to those who alert the authorities about sabotage or other information to help avert accidents.
Exhorting people to protect the railway property, she also announced that any railway employee found to assist the department with such critical information will be promoted.
“The villagers are the biggest assets, and I seek their assistance to protect all railway property across India. If anyone comes forward to help us avert an accident, we’ll offer the person a job in the Railways,” the minister said while laying the foundation stone of the Tarakeswar-Narikul double line, in Hooghly district, about 65 km from Kolkata. Her announcement comes in the wake of the derailment of the Mandor Express near Jaipur that led to the tragic death of seven passengers.
The railway team probing the mishap was exploring whether the accident could be a case of sabotage as the mishap occurred hours after a phone call, cautioning that a bomb was planted on the Jammu Tawi-bound Puja Express. It, however, turned out to be a hoax.
That the railway minister, too, smelt a sabotage was evident when she indicated that the railway property has recently become a target of subversive act.
“Many people are now trying to derail the railway network by organising sudden blockades on the tracks. It has affected the running of prestigious trains like the Rajdhani Express and others while the blockades served the purpose of a tiny vested interest.”
Lifeline of nation
Urging people to desist from any form of malpractices that could disturb railway activities, she said : “It’s the lifeline of the nation. I promise if people come forward to help save the railway network, I’ll also take care of them.” Terming the department’s more than 14 lakh employees as its “main pride”, she pointed out: “The minister keeps on changing, but the employees remain the same. They are permanent.”
