Question : DERAILMENT DUE TO TRACK HAZARDS

(a) whether a curving track is vulnerable to derailment;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether Railway Board has laid down elaborate instructions in this regard to General Managers, Divisional Railway Managers to ensure that derailments do not occur due to track hazards;

(d) if so, the details thereof;

(e) whether any punishment has so far been awarded to GMs, DRMs and Permanent Way Inspectors (now designated as Section Engineers-Permanent Way) after the incidents of derailment took place; and

(f) if so, the details thereof ?

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS ( SHRI NITISH KUMAR )

(a) to (f) A statement is laid on the Table of the Sabha.


STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (f) OF STARRED QUESTION NO. 169 BY SHRIMATI MINATI SEN TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 25.7.2002 REGARDING DERAILMENT DUE TO TRACK HAZARDS.

(a) No, Sir.

(b) Does not arise.

(c) & (d) Instructions exist in the form of codes and manuals e.g. Indian Railway Permanent Way Manual etc. These are supplemented from time to time, as the need arises.

(e) Action for imposing punishments to various levels of officers and staff is taken in conformity with the responsibility as arrived at by the enquiry reports. So far, punishment has been awarded to Officers, Permanent Way Inspectors and other Permanent way staff, wherever, they were found responsible for lapses as per norms. The General Managers (GM) and the Divisional Railway Managers (DRM) are the highest ranked officers of the Zone and the Division respectively, who are responsible for the entirety of activities carried on in their Zone/Division. The enquiry reports have not fixed personal responsibility on GM/DRM in derailment cases so far. No action has, therefore, been taken against General Managers and Divisional Railway Managers so far.

(f) As a result of accident cases, ninety six numbers of Section Engineer ( Permanent Way), were punished in the year 2001-02.