Ignoring warning proved perilous for building at Hubballi rly station

Parcel office was among 16 structures listed as vulnerable by govt rly police

The Railways had ignored missives and warnings by the Government Railway Police (GRP) about the 16 ramshackle Railway buildings in the State, which resulted in the death of seven people and critical injuries to seven others when the parcel office building at the Hubballi station collapsed on February 8.

It has emerged that in November 2014, the then Additional Director General of Police (Railways) Dr Rajvir Pratap Sharma had written to the General Manager (GM) of the South Western Railway (SWR), listing out 16 railway buildings which were in a dilapidated state and could collapse any moment. The list included some GRP station buildings, police quarters and some outposts.

A month after the missive, the ADGP had raised the matter during the railway officers’ conference in Delhi, chaired by the traffic member of the Railway Board and the Director General of the Railway Protection Force (RPF), but the matter was not taken seriously.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, the present ADGP (Railways) Amar Kumar Pandey said the matter of building collapse that killed seven people was under investigation. He said that the investigating officer would look into the communication between the Railway police and the Railway administration and those guilty of ignoring the warnings would not be spared.

Pandey said, “I too wrote many strong letters after the incident, regarding the buildings which warrant urgent attention.”

He said there were 18 police stations, 25 police outposts and 200-odd staff quarters which are almost in ruins and could lead to accidents. In his letters, he has asked the Railway officials to either renovate them or raze them to rebuild them.

The police brass refused to divulge details of the investigation into the Hubballi building collapse, but said the investigation was headed in the right direction.

A Railway police officer said there was a police outpost beneath a water tank. “Not only the outpost, but also the water tank is in bad shape. Ignoring it will cause another Hubballi-like accident.”

He said that many police and Railway quarters were unfit for human habitation, but the Railway authorities never took interest, since their repair or replacement would require huge investment. The condition of the buildings is bad and the accountability will finally rest with the Railway officials.