The Hindu : New Delhi News : Home Ministry differs with Mamata, says it was a case of signal failure

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Tuesday, Jul 20, 2010
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Home Ministry differs with Mamata, says it was a case of signal failure

K. Balchand

NEW DELHI: The Union Home Ministry on Monday differed with Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee over the cause that led to the collision of the Uttarbanga Express with the Vananchal Express that has left 67 people dead and 121 injured at the Sainthia Railway Station in West Bengal. Top Ministry officials shot down Ms. Banerjee's suspicion on the cause of the collision, which hinted at foul play. Inputs at the Home Ministry were that the signal had failed and the driver of the Uttarbanga Express seemed to have miscalculated his speed, ramming the train into the Ranchi bound Vananchal Express. Officials said it pointed to a system failure, where both man and equipment failed.

The Ministry has for the second time negated the claim of Ms. Banerjee. It had ruled out the use of explosives in the collision of the Jnaneswari Express with a goods train in May, which claimed 149 lives.

While most senior railway officials away at the accident site, others who were present at the Rail Bhawan declined to comment on the Ministry's assertion, particularly because the Railway Minister herself suspected sabotage.

The officials, however, admitted that the Uttarbanga Express was speeding in excess of 60 km an hour, almost 40 km above the limit as the train had a scheduled halt at Sainthia.

These officials admitted that driver M.C. Dey had been in touch with the staff of the Rampurhat station, just ahead of Sainthia, giving the impression that he was in his senses and not affected by any intoxication. Both the driver and the assistant driver were killed in the collision.

The Ministry's attempt to put the record straight even as the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety is set to enquire into the circumstances that led to the collision is being viewed as the Centre's desperate bid to distance itself from the collision.

The two collisions have together claimed 209 lives in the first four months of the current financial year, accounting for almost 80 per cent of the 248 deaths caused in various accidents.

The year 2010-11 is turning out to be a black year so far as train collisions are concerned, the death toll being the worst in the past eight years. It had a declining trend in 2005-06, when 25 people died; in 2006-07, accidents claimed two lives and in the following year (2007-08) it came down to one. The death toll rose to nine in 2008-09 and climbed to 42 in 2009-10 when Ms. Banerjee took over from Lalu Prasad as Railway Minister. Similarly, the injury figures too paint the railways in a bad picture. The two collisions this year have left more than 250 people injured. Perhaps it will be the first time in many years that collisions will account for the major part of deaths and injuries in a single year.

The BJP, the CPI(M), the RJD and the LJP have sought an explanation from the Prime Minister over the practicality of continuing with Ms. Banerjee as Railway Minister, charging that these collisions were the result of a system failure.

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