With mounting complaints regarding quality of food served and cartels holding sway over the catering business, the ministry of railways on Friday shifted the blame on its wholly-owned subsidiary Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) for the mess in catering management in trains and stations to justify the move of introducing a new catering policy.

Vivek Sahai, chairman of railway board, stressed that under the new policy, the department will work on a no-profit, no-gain principle and serve only cheap and quality food for millions of passengers.

He was at pains to justify the move as IRCTC Indian Railway was created around 10 years ago during Mamata Banerjee’s first stint as railway minister and member (traffic) railway board as its chairman.

“Complaints over the quality of food have been on the rise and IRCTC was not addressing them properly. While IRCTC was responsible for quality of food, the blame was coming to the railways directly. Hence, it has been decided that board will take over the responsibility itself,” Sahai said.

Sahai admitted that there is a dire need to introduce a new catering policy since the existing one failed to live upto its expectations.

He blamed lack of proper monitoring mechanism of IRCTC for the poor quality of food being served on board and at stations.

“Under the new system, the monitoring mechanism will be more effective. As per the new policy, zonal railways will be entrusted with the responsibility of both quality control and monitoring,” he added.

IRCTC stands to lose Rs 400-crore worth of catering business, and will now be responsible for selling e-ticket and i-tickets and running `Rail Neer’ — the in-house mineral water business.

Clarifying that the PSU would not be wound up, Sahai said: “they will focus on tourism business and manage the food plazas. Tourism is a growing industry and there are excellent scope in it.”

East Coast Railway would run 227 including 34 special trains to Puri during the fete.

To cater to the needs of the huge pilgrim crowd 25 special ticket booking counters, besides the regulars would be made operational.

Twenty close circuit security cameras would be installed at a number of stations to monitor the pilgrim crowd.

Saturday’s rain partially disrupted road traffic and train services on Western and Central line.

The Met department recorded a rainfall of 26.13 mm.

While eastern suburbs received 21.85mm of rainfall, the western part recorded 10.98 mms of rain fall.

The Met department reported that from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, Colaba recorded 86.6 mm of rainfall, while Santacruz received 40.3 mm.

Trains on Western line ran late by 10 to 15 minutes, although no cancellations were reported.

However, rail service on the central and harbour lines were badly affected, trains ran late by 60 to 90 minutes.

“Almost 38 trains were cancelled on the main line and 14 on the harbour line,” said Central Railway PRO A.K.Singh.

The airport authorities said that the flights operated normally without any disruptions.

Civic officials said that water logging was reported from several low lying areas like Hindmata, Dadar, Sion, Matunga, Mahim and Andheri subway.

Severe traffic jams were reported at Peddar Road, Babulnath, and JJ flyover, Kalachowkie, Hindmata, Ghatkopar and Haji Ali.

On the other hand, the Western Express Highway, Malad, Borivli and Andheri station road also experienced slow traffic due to water
logging.

The Met department has forecast heavy rains and thunder showers in parts of Mumbai and its suburbs in the next 24 hours.

With the opposition parties calling ‘Bharat bandh’ tomorrow to protest against the price rise, Mumbai police has geared up and will put entire strength of the police force on the city’s streets to avert any untoward incident in Mumbai.

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I appeal people to come out. We have taken all security measures to ensure no untoward incident takes place. Anyone who takes law into their hands and attempts to paralyse the city shall be dealt with strict action,” warned Mumbai police commissioner Sanjeev Dayal.

He urged citizens to call the police in case of violence. “Our entire 40,000 policemen’s force will be on duty to maintain law and order,” Dayal added.

“Besides city police force, additional forces such as rapid action force and state reserve police force will also be present on the street to maintain vigil,” he said.

Mumbai police has short listed the names of ‘trouble makers’ belonging to various political parties and issues notices to them under section 149 of Criminal Procedure Code which allows police to prevent cognizable offences.

“We have issued notices to over 1,000 people associated with various political parties, including BJP, Shiv Sena and MNS, who may create trouble. Some more may receive such notices today as well,” a senior police official told PTI.

“Any person or political party indulge in any act of violence and arson will be made to pay compensation,” the official added.

The government is likely to file a contempt petition against the parties forcing the bandh after Monday.

The state government has set its sight on the Supreme Court judgment to prevent the parties from paralysing the city and rest of the state on July 5.

As the suburban trains are likely to be targeted by protestors supporting bandh, adequate number of railway policemen would be deployed at stations for smooth functioning of railway service, police said.

“We have asked our staff to be on high alert,” said a Western Railways spokesperson adding that “motormen will also be guarded by security men as the protestors may target them to derail train services.”

The services of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR), also known as Toy Train, has been suspended due to a landslide in the hills, disappointing hundreds of tourists coming here from different parts of the country.
The landslide took place on the National Highway 55 severely damaging the narrow gauge track on which the train runs.

But the local rail authority have not taken any initiative to inform the tourists and they continued booking tickets for the toy train journey, leaving tourists angry and disappointed when they learn about disruption of services.

“It’s not expected from Indian Railway, at least being the major carrier in India. When the train is not running and suspended indefinitely then why make a fuss of it and fun of it by making your Internet reservations available,” said Samrat Sanyal, a local tour operator.

Many visitors were left disappointed; the railway authorities are not taking any responsibility on their part to intimate them of the present situation.

“We could have also board a bus to Darjeeling but we didn’t as we wanted to take a trip on toy train,” said Kundan Mahato, a tourist. (ANI)

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested the Mumbai Railway Recruitment Board Chairman S.M. Sharma and Railways Senior Divisional Personnel Officer G.Sethi, prime accused in the multi crore  railway recruitment scam, here on Wednesday.

Earlier in the month, the CBI had uncovered a railway recruitment scam, which happened during the examinations for the posts of the Assistant Loco Pilot and Assistant Station Master.
The CBI had earlier arrested eight accused in the case including Sharma’s son and another senior Railway official.

On Wednesday, the Hyderabad CBI court sent these eight accused into three days CBI custody.
A case has been registered in Hyderabad on June 15. The CBI has unearthed railway recruitment scam by conducting simultaneous raids at Mumbai, Bangalore, Raipur, and Kolkata and Hyderabad.(ANI)

Youths are shying away from low-cost Yuva trains if Railway occupancy figures are any indication.

Five months after its launch, the low-cost air conditioned Yuva trains have few takers.

Despite the concessions available to unemployed youth and poor, only 118 boarded the Howrah-bound Yuva train against the total 3,774 seats available during its total 5 trips
in January, according to the railway occupation chart.

In contrast in the general category, 1,649 passengers boarded the Howrah Yuva train against 2,244 seats available in January.

The weekly Yuva trains – Delhi-Mumbai-Delhi and Delhi-Kolkata-Delhi – meant for unemployed youth and economically poor sections became operational in January.

Though the passenger trains in these two sectors are witnessing a heavy rush, the passenger occupancy rate in low-fare AC Yuva trains with seated accommodation is not very promising.

The ridership did not pick up in February and only 1,993 youth and general passengers travelled against the available 4,488 seats during its total four trips.

Yuva train made four trips in March and 2,072 youth and general passengers boarded the train as against 4,488 allocated seats.

Persons in the age group of 18-45 years, who are either unemployed or from low income groups, are eligible to avail the facility in Yuva trains.

As per the fares, railways have kept it at Rs 299 up to Rs 1,500 km and Rs 399 upto 2,500 km for Yuva trains.

April witnessed a marginal increase with 2,708 youth and general passengers travelling as against 4,488 available seats in the Howrah Yuva train during its four trips.

The Howrah-bound Yuva train leaves every Sunday from New Delhi station. The train leaves Howrah every Thursday for Delhi.

The train made three trips to Howrah upto May 20 and 2,268 youth and passengers booked their tickets in it as against 3366 available seats, according to the data.

The Nizamuddin-Bandra Yuva train also has an abysmal occupation rate in January. Only 64 youth boarded the train against the allocated quota of 1,530 seats during the total three trips in the first month.

“Yuva trains have 60 per cent reservation for unemployed youth and low income group passengers,” said a senior Railway Ministry official.

In February, 1,262 youth boarded the Mumbai bound train as against 2,958 available seats during its total four trips.

In March, the Mumbai bound Yuva made four trips and 1,473 youth and general passengers boarded the train as against total 3,264 available seats.

The train made four trips in April and 1,644 youth and general passengers booked their tickets against the availability of 3,264 seats.

The train made two trips upto May 20 and 1,000 youth and passengers availed the facility against the availability of 1,632 seats.

“It was a budget proposal to run trains for unemployed youths on a pilot basis,” said the official, adding “we will see how the trains can be made more popular.”

Youth and low income group passengers are required to carry a proof of their date of birth as proof of age as well as registration certificate of a government-run employment exchange or registration card of National Rural Employment Gurantee Act at the time of booking of the ticket as well as travelling in Yuva trains.

The Railways have generated Rs.10044.54 crore of revenue earnings from commodity-wise freight traffic during April-May 2010 as compared to Rs. 9216.12 crore during the corresponding period last year, registering an increase of 8.99 per cent. Railways carried 146.41 million tonnes of commodity-wise freight traffic during April-May 2010 as compared to 141.63 million tonnes carried during the corresponding period last year, registering an increase of 3.37 per cent. The Net Tonne Kilo Metres (NTKM) went up from 92566 million during April-May 2009 to 98417 million during April-May 2010, showing an increase of 6.32 per cent.

Out of the total earnings of Rs. 5151.79 crore from commodity-wise freight traffic during the month of May 2010, Rs. 1955.78 crore came from transportation of 33.61 million tonnes of coal, followed by Rs. 774.22 crore from 9.79 million tonnes of iron ore for exports, steel plants and for other domestic user, Rs. 486.29 crore from 8.10 million tonnes of cement, Rs. 381.37 crore from 3.48 million tonnes of foodgrains, Rs. 294.39 crore from 3.35 million tonnes of petroleum oil and lubricant (POL), Rs. 265.77 crore from 2.43 million tonnes of Pig iron and finished steel from steel plants and other points, Rs. 236.71 crore from 3.26 million tonnes of fertilizers, Rs. 90.03 crore from 1.05 million tonnes of raw material for steel plants except iron ore, Rs. 262.77 crore from 3.06 million tonnes by container service and Rs. 374.46 crore from 6.11 million tonnes of other goods.

Jun 15

In Bihar, Maoists attacked on Ismailpur Railway station on Ghaya- Mughalsari railway section of the East-Central railway last night.

AIR Patna correspondent reports that over hundred Maoists equipped with sophisticated weapons set records on fire. No casualty was reported in this incident. Rail traffic on the section has been stopped after this incident.

A number of trains including Rajdhani Express are standing on various stations. Rail traffic could be restored only after security clearance.

Top railway officials and security personnel are camping on the site and efforts are on to restore rail traffic. Railways have further stepped up security to meet any untoward incident. A massive manhunt has been launched to nab the Maoists.

In another incident Maoists also attacked on Rohtas Police Station in Sasaram. Encounter between Maoists and Police and security forces lasted for 5 hours. However no casualty has been reported so far.

Nine trains were cancelled, bus services were hit and trucks were stranded in several parts of Jharkhand on the first day of a two-day Maoist shutdown in three states on Monday, officials said.

“As a precaution we have cancelled nine trains and some have been rescheduled,” KS Upadhyaya, the divisional railway manager of Dhanbad railway division, told IANS over telephone.

The cancelled trains include the Palamau Express and seven passenger trains. The seven trains diverted include the Hatia and New Delhi Express.

Vehicular traffic was also badly hit. No long-route buses plied and trucks were stranded in different places. The highways were deserted.

The Communist Party of India-Maoist has called the two-day strike in Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal to protest against the arrest of two key Maoists in Bihar.

Source – HT