Representation by Com. P U Venkatesan to CRS

To The Commissioner of Railway Safety, Bangalore

Enquiry about the Express Train Accident at Chennai on 5.5.16

Requisition to conduct “Fair and Impartial Enquiry, to be precise, in a Scientific Method” and to hold the Concerned Railway Authorities too as Responsible

I). For 85% of the Accidents [Minor or Major (With or Without Causalities) or Any Other Untoward Incidents], Railway Authorities are responsible. Since the Administrative and Controlling Powers are solely vested with them, they misguide the People by saying that 85% of the Accidents happen due to Human Failure, blame the Employees and close the files holding one bottom most employee as responsible. 

II). I believe, so far, no Railway Authority has been held responsible for an accident. Even the then Railway Minister Shri Lalu Prasad Yadav had insisted this aspect*. But he did not too succeed. Because Higher Level Authority protects Lower Level Authority and vice versa.

* Shri Lalu Prasad Yadav in the General Managers’ Meet held at New Delhi on 14.6.05 (Courtesy: The Hindu daily dated 15.6.05) said that “General Managers and Divisional Managers would be held responsible for the railway accidents caused by human failure and carelessness”. 

III). Since the Administrative and Controlling Powers are at their hands, they evade from the scene by misusing the Railway Employees who are greedy of earning money or by threatening the Employees who try to follow rules to violate. To achieve their goals, they use the D&A Rules as Weapon.

IV). A brief explaining how the Railway Authorities victimize a Safety Conscious Employee 

1). When I tried to establish in a Safety Seminar that 85% of the Accidents happen due to lackadaisical approaches of the Railway Authorities, 

--------they had thrown me out of the Safety Seminar Hall.

2). Being a Loco Pilot, when I tried to follow safety rules in day to day train working and by means of submitting representations to the Authorities (more than 650 representations running to more than 800 pages in 20 years), 

--------they prevented me to do so by repeatedly issuing charge sheets with false charges (nearly 40 Minor Penalty Charge Sheets and 10 Major Penalty Charge Sheets in 20 years-please see the links shown at the end)

3). When I continued to work by following safety rules even in the above situation

---------they shifted me from train working to System Training Centre/Banglalore as a Temporary Instructor in violation of prescribed norms and without my willingness

4). When I expressed my inability to work as Instructor, 

---------they forced me to be present in the System Training Centre even without working as Instructor.

5). When I conveyed to Higher Authorities ie GM/SWR and other HQ Authorities by means of Emails, SMS, Representations, In Person etc that I have been paid without any productivity or without extracting any work from me in the System Training Centre

---------they sent me to Siliguri under the alibi of ‘Training’

6). When I agitated at Siliguri opposing the So Called Training by means of Emails, SMS, Representations, In Person etc,

They brought me back to Train Working to my own Depot ie Crew Booking/SBC

7). After coming out from STC, 

--------they booked me in only one train service ie in MEMU passenger train service while I am eligible to work in all Mail, Express and Superfast trains.

8). While working again as Loco Pilot in MEMU passenger train service, I continued to follow safety rules.

---------this time they degraded me from B to D in the ABCD categorization, taken me from train working and asked me to work as CPRC or CCRC or PRC or CRC.

9). When I expressed my inability to work as CPRC or CCRC or PRC or CRC

----------they reverted me to work as ALP five steps down from Loco Pilot (P-I) (reducing net pay drawing to Rs 15,000 from Rs 50,000), deputed to work as ALP in Goods Trains that too with new comers ie with Shunters instead of allowing to work in Passenger or Express Trains.

10). When I continued to follow safety rules even at the stage of ALP by bringing on record the safety violations carried out by the Goods Loco Pilots/Shunters with whom I was deputed to work

-----------they had thrown me out from the Railway ie they had dismissed me from service saying “Indisciplined and Obstructive Worker”

11). While dismissing from service, without fail, they mentioned in the Penalty Advice that I am not eligible even for Compassionate Allowance ie they very carefully made arrangements that I should not get single Naiya Paisa while leaving from service. 

V). At this stage, what I want to say to your kind self is 

I am not aware of the exact reason for the accident. But GM/SR says LP passed signal at ON. Let it be true for the argument sake. If he is of a Safety Conscious LP and if he might have been forced to violate any rule, he might have met the accident in question.

In the interest of public safety and convenience, kindly try to find out the answers for the following questionnaires and hold the Concerned Authorities also as responsible if they might have made the LP in question to meet the accident. 

[a] Whether the Loco Pilot in question had availed proper Head Quarter Rest /Outstation Rest i.e. he should not have been booked in under rest for working a train.

[b] Whether he was medically fit i.e. he should not be ‘Due’ for Periodical Medical Examination.

[c] Whether he possessed valid competency certificates to handle the Locos i.e. He should have been properly trained to handle a particular type of Loco and he should have valid competency certificate issued by a training centre assigned for the purpose

[d] Whether he had proper LRS (Learning of Roads and Signals) i.e. he should have knowledge of Roads and Signals of the section in which he is deputed to work.

[e] Whether he had completed Refresher Courses and Any Other Courses in connection with the train operations i.e. He should not be ‘Due’ for any RC [Refresher courses] at the time of booking for train operations.

[f] Whether he was ‘Sober’ before joining for duty i.e. He should not have been allowed for train operation if he has consumed any alcohol. 

[g] Whether he was in possession of all Safety and Personal Equipments i.e. he should have been supplied with Required Personal Equipments as per GR 4.19.

[h[ Whether he had joined duty in time as per SR 4.04 (i) i.e. he should not have been allowed to join duty ‘Late’ and if he joined duty late, he must not have been allowed and another LP might have been booked to join duty immediately. 

[i] Whether he had joined ‘Duty’ in the proper place where he has to join as per GR 4.04 i.e. He should have joined ‘Duty’ in his own depot for Signing ON purpose and then he might have been directed to the Required Working Spot. He should not be allowed at any cost directly to join duty in the working spot without signing on in his own Depot.

[j] Whether he was a Qualified and Appropriate LP to work the train in question. For Example, Loco Pilot/Goods should not be booked to work Superfast trains and other link mail/express trains and Loco Pilot/Pass with required experience or Loco Pilot/Mail&Exp only should be booked.

[k] Whether he was allowed to work beyond prescribed duty hours i.e. a LP should not be allowed to work beyond 8 hours for Passenger/mail /Express /Superfast trains and beyond 13 hours for goods working. 

If anyone or few or all of the above criteria has not been fulfilled by the Loco Pilot before he was booked/allowed to work the train and if he is allowed to join duty with deficiencies by the authorities and if any accident is taking place, then the said accident is to be treated as the Accident due to System Failure and the Concerned Authorities who allowed the said LP to work the trains with the above deficiencies are to be held responsible and not the Concerned LP.

PU VENKATESAN, Chennai 

Mob: 09448293364

Mail: puvenkatesan@gmail.com

(PU Venkatesan is an Ex LP Mail  from Bengaluru division who was dismissed from service.)