CAG finds holes in implementation of railways' safety plans

Taking note of shortage of manpower in the departments concerning safety in Railways and tardy progress in implementing devices designed to prevent rail accidents, the CAG has observed that the PSU has failed to improve signaling and telecommunication system.

Taking note of shortage of manpower in the departments concerning safety in Railways and tardy progress in implementing devices designed to prevent rail accidents, the CAG has observed that the PSU has failed to improve signaling and telecommunication system.

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The Comptroller and Auditor General has also found that the railways did not submit the Action-Taken-Report on its observation and recommendation on the issue.

Seeking a review of the railways' policy for installing an Anti-Collision Device, the CAG has observed in its latest report that the installation and functioning of the ACD in
certain sections were not satisfactory.

It has also found shortage of staff in almost all sections of safety category including operating, electrical, mechanical and civil departments.

CAG, while examining railways' safety performance during 2003-08, has also noticed in the report tabled in Parliament, that there were non-adherance to maintenance schedules and
shortfall in inspections in the period.

Keeping with the objective of installing modern and reliable signaling systems as well as telecommunication systems, railways has set up a Corporate Safety Plan for a
period of ten years from 2003.

Railways has laid down a policy, provision of new technology, asset upgradation and renewal, maintenance, inspection and human resource development for signaling and
telecommunication network during the period 2003-2013, for safe and punctual movement of trains as part of the Corporate safety Plan.

However, the CAG has found that during 2003-08, nothing much was done to improve signaling and telecommunication systems in railways.

There were vacancies of 22,883 posts in safety category against sanctioned strength of 1,92,165 in operating department as on March 31, 2008.

In civil engineering department, there were vacancies of 55,579 posts as against 2,62,416 and in electrical department the number of vacancies were 1,316 as against the sanctioned strength of 7,315 during that period.

There were also vacancies of 6,324 posts against the strength of 52,807 in mechanical department and all these posts are in safety category.