Restore Railways' image: new chief

Newly-appointed Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani wrote a letter to 1.3 million railway employees asking them to ensure the highest level of safety to instil a sense of confidence among the passengers. Without mincing words, Lohani said the Indian Railways has suffered a serious dent in the recent past due to certain unfortunate incidents.

He also pointed out that there is need to deal with the evils of corruption, sexual harassment at work places and alcohol abuse while on duty. These are social evils and need to be dealt firmly with an iron hand, he added.

Lohani's letter was made public on a day the Nagpur-Mumbai Duronto Express derailed near Asangaon in Maharashtra due to a landslide caused by heavy rain. However, Lohani did not mention about the derailment of Duronto Express in Maharashtra or any other recent train accidents. He, however, said such incidents often overshadow the great work that this organisation performs day in and day out.

Lohani asked the employees to resolve to bring about an all-round improvement in the working of the railways for satisfactorily meeting the hopes, expectations and aspirations of the vast multitude. "Safety shall always remain our principal focus area. We have to always be on our guard to ensure the highest level of safety in train operations and instil a renewed sense of confidence in our esteemed passengers," he said.
He also talked about cleanliness at railway stations, trains, operation ratio, and welfare of the railwaymen.

Lohani said the quality of catering and linen on trains is also an area of serious concern. "We have to work in a mission mode to bring about quantitative and qualitative improvements in a very short time frame in these areas, while at the same time not losing sight of the fact that the railways need an overall improvement to achieve total customer satisfaction," he said.

The Railway Board Chairman said the operating ratio of the organisation needs to be brought down considerably. He asked the staff to do not only by reducing expenditure but also by increasing freight loading besides finding other means of non-conventional revenue generation to achieve a spurt in revenues.

On a personal note, Lohani said he believed in avoiding any frills in the form of bouquets, gifts, lavish celebrations and excessive protocol. "These divert our attention from our primary responsibilities, hard core work and severely damage the organization also. Our focus needs to be on deliverance and deliverance alone. We also have to reform our processes, many of which have, with the passage of time, become so complicated that they seriously hamper work. That remaining busy is not deliverance is a thought that also needs to be imbibed."

Lohani reiterated the importance he attaches to employees of an organisation. "I have always believed in the supremacy of the human resource. For me, my employees, not the customers, come first.  For, it is my firm conviction, that a contented and happy employee is the prerequisite for the success of any organisation. And this great organisation is no exception."

He made a fervent and personal appeal to "all my fellow railwaymen" to put in their best effort to restore the old glory of "the lifeline of the nation - the great Indian Railways."