A TRAGEDY AT BALASORE:

The Human Cost of Misplaced Priorities

Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to the Prime Minister on Odisha Train Tragedy and says - “Empty Safety Claims Exposed”

New Delhi: The massive three-train crash in Odisha in which more than 275 people were killed and more than 900 seriously injured in a major rail accident involving two express trains and a Goods Train in Balasore district of Odisha on June 2, 2023 evening, Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to Prime Minister alleging that many red flags were ignored and there were only “superficial touch-ups” instead of any real action to strengthen the railways.

In a letter, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, highlighted the vacancies in the Railways, and alleged flaws in the signalling system and lapses in safety. Earlier, Party leader Shri Rahul Gandhi had also called for accountability after the tragedy and said that the Prime Minister “should immediately seek the resignation of the Railways Minister”. In his letter he said - “The train accident in Odisha has been an eye opener for all of us. All the empty safety claims of the Railway Minister have now been exposed.” He also slammed moves like merging the Railways Budget with the Union Budget, questioning whether this was done to undermine the autonomy of the railways to “push reckless privatization”.

“Unfortunately, the people in charge - your good self and Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnav - do not want to admit that there are problems. The Railways Minister claims to have already found a root cause, but has requested the CBI to investigate. The CBI is meant to investigate crimes, not railway accidents. The CBI, or any other law enforcement agency, cannot fix accountability for technical, institutional and political failures. In addition, they lack the technical expertise in railway safety, signalling, and maintenance practices,” wrote the Congress President.

On vacancies: Shri Kharge said that three lakh posts were vacant in the Railways and in the East Coast Railways - which oversees the region where the crash took place - there were more than 8,000 vacancies. “It’s the same story of apathy and negligence even in the case of senior positions, where both the PMO (Prime Minister’s Office) and the Cabinet Committee play a crucial role in appointments,” he said.

On earlier incidents: He also cited a report of the national auditor, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), which said between 2017-18 to 2020-21, seven of 10 train accidents were due to derailments. “Between 2017-21, there was zero testing of Rail and Weld (Track Maintenance) for safety in East Coast Railway. Why were these grave red flags ignored?”

On Raksha Kavach: The Congress President questioned why there was no action on the previous UPA government’s plan to roll out the anti-train collision system, originally named ‘Raksha Kavach’, which was developed by Konkan Railways and tested. “Your government simply renamed the scheme ‘Kavach’ and in March 2022, the Railway Minister himself projected the rechristened scheme as a new novel invention. But the question still remains, why have only a measly 4% of routes of Indian Railways been protected by ‘Kavach’ till now?” Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge demanded to know.

He stated, “Today, the most crucial step is to prioritise the installation of mandatory safety standards and equipment across railway routes to ensure safety of our passengers and no recurrence of an accident like the one at Balasore.”

In a statement by Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi,she said, “I am most pained and anguished by the terrible train disaster in Odisha. I extend my deepest sympathy and condolences to all the bereaved families.”

In a message by Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, he said, “Deeply saddened by the terrible train tragedy involving Coromandel Express in Odisha.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims.

We urge the authorities to expedite rescue operations and provide relief to the injured. Request Congress workers to provide all possible help.”

In a twitter message from United States by Shri Rahul Gandhi, he said, “Anguished by the tragic news of the accident involving the Coromandel Express, in Balasore, Odisha.

My heart goes out to the bereaved families. Wishing for the speedy recovery of those injured.

I urge Congress workers & leaders to extend all support needed for rescue efforts.”