The All India Loco Running Staff Association has urged the Railway Ministry to reconsider the decision to dismiss two loco pilots in connection with the collision of two goods trains in the Adra Division of South Eastern Railway on June 25.
The case relates to the accident in which a goods train collided with the rear of another goods train stabled at the Ondagram railway station in West Bengal resulting in the derailment of a few wagons.
After a probe revealed that the loco pilots of the approaching goods train had slipped into “microsleep” and passed the signal in danger, the inquiry officer removed them from service with immediate effect.
Knee-jerk reaction
The association argued that the competent authority invoked provisions under Rule 14(ii) of the Disciplinary & Appeal Rules, 1968, to award the punishment which was nothing but a “knee-jerk” reaction. Loco pilot Swarup Singha and assistant loco pilot G.S. Kumar were not given an opportunity to explain their position, it claimed.
In a letter to the Chairman Railway Board & Chief Executive Officer, the association said there was no justification to invoke the extraordinary provisions under Rule 14(ii) of the D&A Rules since the incident was normal and ordinary. The inquiry officer had taken a decision to dispense with further inquiry arbitrarily without recording valid reasons.
‘Removal from service’ without giving an opportunity to be heard was highly unfair.
Not wilful
In the month preceding the accident, the association claimed that the loco pilot and assistant loco pilot were deployed on night duty on 14 and 17 trips, respectively. They were also forced to work beyond 12 hours of duty on eight occasions. Mr. Kumar was forced to work continuously for 19.56 hours on June 6 and 16.50 hours on June 21.
The longer working hours in most of the trips and the excess number of night duties would have caused extreme fatigue “Falling into microsleep is not wilful but beyond the control of a human being. It is a biological reaction of the body,” it said.
According to senior railway officials, Rule 14(ii) of the D&A Rules is invoked when the competent authority is fully satisfied that the accused employee is guilty of the charges beyond reasonable doubt and there is no need for any further inquiry or investigation.
