Callous station master benched
Nadiad Dy Station Superintendent Vijay Pandya is suspended, found guilty of serious neglect of duty
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, April 07, 2009 AM (Ahmedabad Mirror http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=2009040720090407024644358328c1f81)
Story so far
• Pandya failed to give the driver of Bandra-Jamnagar train a caution note of repairs being done near Mehamdabad
• Sans the warning, the train could’ve run over workers or derailed on application of emergency brakes
• Alert driver Suresh Shah averted mishap
• Pandya suspended
Acknowledging that a major lapse had been committed by a railway official that risked the lives of 600 passengers travelling on Bandra-Jamnagar express on March 31, the safety department of Baroda division held Nadiad deputy station superintendent Vijay Pandya guilty of serious neglect of duty and suspended him on Monday. Pandya had failed to give the driver of the train a caution note warning of repairs being undertaken near Mehamdabad.
AM had reported on April 5 that hundreds of passengers of Bandra-Jamnagar Intercity and about 15 workers repairing the tracks near Mehamdabad escaped death solely because driver Suresh Shah stopped the train just in time meters before the repair spot.
Delivering the order, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Baroda, Suhas Kumar said passengers’ safety was paramount for the railways and in view of that, action had to be taken against the individual found guilty. She said, “Vijay Pandya, the deputy SS of Nadiad, has been suspended and served a chargesheet.”
Pandya’s lapse had left the driver in an unenviable position of having to decide between running over workers, resulting in their certain death, or applying emergency brakes at 100 kmph and risking a train derailment. His decision of slamming the brakes led to minimum damage and saved the lives of passengers, as if providentially.On being asked if the driver would be rewarded for saving so many lives, the DRM said she would look into his role and do whatever was suitable and necessary.
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, April 07, 2009 AM (Ahmedabad Mirror http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=2009040720090407024644358328c1f81)
Story so far
• Pandya failed to give the driver of Bandra-Jamnagar train a caution note of repairs being done near Mehamdabad
• Sans the warning, the train could’ve run over workers or derailed on application of emergency brakes
• Alert driver Suresh Shah averted mishap
• Pandya suspended
Acknowledging that a major lapse had been committed by a railway official that risked the lives of 600 passengers travelling on Bandra-Jamnagar express on March 31, the safety department of Baroda division held Nadiad deputy station superintendent Vijay Pandya guilty of serious neglect of duty and suspended him on Monday. Pandya had failed to give the driver of the train a caution note warning of repairs being undertaken near Mehamdabad.
AM had reported on April 5 that hundreds of passengers of Bandra-Jamnagar Intercity and about 15 workers repairing the tracks near Mehamdabad escaped death solely because driver Suresh Shah stopped the train just in time meters before the repair spot.
Delivering the order, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Baroda, Suhas Kumar said passengers’ safety was paramount for the railways and in view of that, action had to be taken against the individual found guilty. She said, “Vijay Pandya, the deputy SS of Nadiad, has been suspended and served a chargesheet.”
Pandya’s lapse had left the driver in an unenviable position of having to decide between running over workers, resulting in their certain death, or applying emergency brakes at 100 kmph and risking a train derailment. His decision of slamming the brakes led to minimum damage and saved the lives of passengers, as if providentially.On being asked if the driver would be rewarded for saving so many lives, the DRM said she would look into his role and do whatever was suitable and necessary.
