Thaindian News

New Delhi, Aug 4 (IANS) Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi Thursday suggested creating a separate rail safety board and said he would write to chief ministers to know about their demands from his ministry as also that of MPs from each state.

In reply to a calling attention motion in Rajya Sabha to the situation arising out of frequent rail accidents in the country, Trivedi said a separate and independent railway safety board should be formed.

“The board could comprise experts like former Railway Board chairman. It will analyse why accidents happen and identify the risks and safety management system,” he said.

Trivedi said all safety-related vacancies at higher levels will be filled up in about a week. “I will be personally going to sit on everybody’s head, if I can use the word… all vacancies (at higher levels) are going to be filled in about a week’s time,” he said.

The railways, he said, has around 1.5 lakh vacancies and there was need to fill all the posts.

“Even one death or one accident is not acceptable to us and there will be zero tolerance towards accidents, injuries and deaths,” he said.

Comparing the records of European rail networks with that of Indian Railways posted on a website, he said that in 2007 there were eight cases of head-on collision whereas 249 such cases were recorded in Europe in the same year.

Trivedi said he would write to every chief minister to consult their MPs about demands from the railways.

“Please call members (MPs). Please find out what they want… After that I would visit each state, spend time there to discuss what do you want,” he said.

Trivedi said his ministry was keen to modernise coaches and engines in keeping with the latest technology to prevent loss of lives in case of any accident. He said the funds earmarked for safety had been utilised by the railways.