March 26, 2006	Sunday	Safar 25, 1427

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

LAHORE, March 25: Some 56 items were discussed during the concluding session of the two-day 84th Pakistan Railways Divisional Superintendents’ Conference held at PR headquarters here on Saturday.

General Manager (Operations) Saleemur Rahman Akhoond presided over proceedings of the conference, attended by the DSs of railways operational divisions — Peshawar, Quetta, Sukkur, Multan, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi — besides Mughalpura Workshops DS, the inspector-general of PR police and the director-general of PR Academy at Walton.

Officials privy to the event said the operation-related issues and bottlenecks faced by the DSs in their respective divisions were brought to the knowledge of the railway high-ups during the conference.

Multan, Sukkur and Peshawar DSs complained about the short supply of vital items. They said the short supply, even up to

50 per cent in some cases, adversely affected the quality of maintenance of tracks, coaches and signalling equipment, and thus jeopardised the trains’ safety.

The participants were dissatisfied with the decision of the PR high-ups to restrict the railway police jurisdiction within the outer signals of railway stations. They were of the view the district police were not taking adequate measures to ensure safety and security of tracks and other installations in the block sections (the area between the outer signals of two stations).

Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Multan and Karachi DSs spoke about staff shortage in essential categories like signal, civil, mechanical and electrical engineering, transport, carriage, loco, communication and works departments and termed it alarming.

The PR Academy director-general proposed setting up of regional centres in each division to provide proper practical training to the staff.

Expressing concern over non-observance of annual schedule, he said the staff concerned were neither nominated nor relived of their duties in time, due to which they could not attend refresher courses etc.

Sources said the DSs were asked to improve terminal facilities for loading and unloading at stations, dealing with goods traffic, especially in major cities.

Railway police chief wanted improvement in lighting arrangements at stations, yards and in passenger trains, besides immediate repair of the broken boundary walls of stations and yards. He also pointed out lack of fire-fighting equipment in the trains, stores, depots and workshops while drawing the attention of the PR high-ups towards the dilapidated condition of almost all buildings of railway police stations.

Domeli crash: Railways Minister Shamim Haider said on Saturday that the Jan 29 train derailment train between Bakrala and Domeli stations was an act of sabotage.

“Findings (of an inquiry) by Federal Government Inspector of Railways reveal that it was not an accident but an act of sabotage,” he said while talking to newsmen at 55th PR Inter Divisional Athletics Championship at Railways Stadium, reports APP