The infrastructure of the medical system is precarious Central government is indifferent to the safety of railway passengers: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury

Bhubaneswar : Leader of Opposition Congress in Lok Sabha Mr. Adhir
Ranjan Chowdhury visited the Bahanga railway accident site on the instructions of
President of All India Congress Committee Mr. Mallikarjun Khadge and discussed the
recovery work with the employees of the railway department working there. Later, Mr.
Choudhury met the injured passengers who were being treated at District Headquarters
Hospital, Balasore. He inquired about the treatment provided to them. Mr. Choudhury went
straight from the main hospital to the NOSSI building, Balasore where the deceased
passengers’ bodies are kept. Mr. Choudhury also interacted with near and dear and family
members of the deceased assembled there and expressed his condolences. Mr.
Choudhury also met the injured passengers who were being treated at the Bhadrak District
General Hospital. He also visited the Blood donation camp organized by Bhadrak District
NSUI for the injured passengers.

In the press conference held at Balasore, in the presence of Odisha In-charge and MP Dr.
A. Chellakumar, PCC President Mr. Sharat Pattanaik, former PCC President Jayadev
Jena, Prasad Harichandan and Campaign Committee Chairman Vijay Patnaik, Mr.
Choudhury expressed his condolences to the families of the passengers who died in the
train accident and wished for the recovery of the injured passengers. Mr. Chowdhury
expressed his displeasure that the recovery work was delayed. As the passengers
screamed for help, no one from the railways or the state administration reached there
within 2 to 3 hours. But the local people at the scene of the accident immediately reached.
He thanked them for the way they started rescue work with their own efforts. The recovery
work is now going on by various Railway Departments, State Administrations, NDRF and
other Government and other government organizations.

If the local administration had arrived at proper time, the lives of some travelers who were
struggling with death would have been saved. Mr. Choudhury condemned such
mismanagement. On the other hand, he alleged that the hospital where the injured were
being treated lacked proper and advanced healthcare facilities. A chaotic situation is
emerging there, he said. The worst thing is that the hospital lacks the doctors and other
staffs needed so that the injured are being deprived of proper treatment.

Mr. Chowdhury submitted that the situation where the dead bodies are kept is inhumane,
deplorable and disgusting. The bodies have been left there to be decomposed. Due to the
way in which the dead bodies are kept for identification, the place has become stinky. One
can’t stand there. There is a risk of infection. While the family members of the deceased
rushed around to find the dead body, it seemed that no one was there to understand them.
There is negligence on the part of the government. There was disorder everywhere. The
infrastructure that was in place was not able to control the situation there. There is no
proper system to identify the dead bodies.

There is a need to prevent the causes of such accidents considering the safety of the life of
passengers. Big promises of modernization are being made, but what is happening in the
field is not measured. The main issue is how the train collision happened. It is a matter of
concern that such a situation has arisen in such a digital age and the application of
technology and where hundreds of suggestions or advices are given for the safety of
passengers. More fundamentally, the government prioritized the privatization of the
railways by avoiding its safety.

There is a need for proper management, maintenance and repair of railways. That is why
there is a Railway Depreciation Reserve Fund, which is used for repairs and renovations.
But DRF Funds have been reduced. It is important to know how the train left the main road
and ran onto another track and the track on which a train was standing earlier. During the
UPA government, the condition of the railway line for every kilometer was regularly
assessed and priority was given especially to the signaling system. An anti-collision device
was said to be a device that would prevent rail accidents or collisions. But the reality is
what it is today. Instead of prioritizing the privatization of railways, the government should
give priority on development, modernization and maintenance of its infrastructure. Every
day in India, 25 lakh passengers travel on the railways. Therefore, it is the main duty of the
government to give priority on it. It is also a question how India's high-speed train is being
run on such weak infrastructure? In this, the life of the passenger is being pushed into
danger. Promises are easy to make but hard to keep. 80 percent of people in India are not
in a position to afford fares of privatized train. The Prime Minister of India can be called
Boss by the Prime Minister of Australia. But the Prime Minister should try to be the boss of
the common people of India. Railways is not just a commercial system. It has to keep its
promise to the general public. Funds meant for passenger protection should not be
reduced. The biggest thing is that more than 1 lakh 42 thousand posts are vacant for the
execution of work at the signal system and other basic levels, so that this work cannot be
done properly. It should be filled immediately. The railway minister should follow the same
approach taken by Lalbahadur Sastri and Nitish Kumar to maintain his dignity. It seems
that without Modi's signal he cannot do anything of his own. When a new train is launched,
the slogan 'Modi Modi' is shouted. Modi Modi is echoed all around and in fact it has
become BJP's move to make politics on corpses. The Prime Minister and the Railway
Minister should speak clearly about the safety of the railways and the safety of the
passengers.

Among others, MLA Taraprasad Bhagapati, Naajyoti Patnaik, Balasore district president
Sanjeev Giri, Cuttack District President Manas Chowdhury, NSUI president Yasir Nawaz,
National Secretary NSUI Anulekha Bosa, Lalatendu Mohapatra, Satashiv Das, Bijan Naik,
Sudarshan Das, Archana Nandi, Bhadrak district president Subrata Das, Nalin Naik,
Prakash Mishra, Deepak Mohapatra, Ranjit Patra, Swagat Kar, Debasish Bhuyan, Gautam
Sahu and many prominent Congress leaders were present there.