The Hindu : National : Mamata blames top brass for train collisions

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Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010
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National

Mamata blames top brass for train collisions

K. Balchand

NEW DELHI: Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday squarely blamed the top brass for the two recent collisions that claimed 11 lives.

Addressing a two-day meeting of zonal general managers and members of the Railway Board, Ms. Banerjee said that the only reason the accidents took place on January 2 in Uttar Pradesh was the failure on the part of the senior officials to monitor the functioning of the railways.

She gave her piece of mind to both the Northern Railway and North Central Railway General Managers, under whose jurisdiction the collisions involving four trains had occurred, wondering why the two instructions issued in December regarding speed restrictions to be followed in view of the fog had not been adhered to.

There was no reason for the accidents to occur when fresh guidelines were in place to assist the manpower which was well backed by resources and an excellent system.

Ms. Banerjee directed the board to evolve methods to increase railways’ earning for future expansion programmes. Innovations were required in spheres of commercial advertisements, sale of scrap and exploitation of land and air space.

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