The Railways are preparing dossiers on staff deployed in the running of trains to keep alcoholics away from duty. After the pointsman of Ghatnandur station — who sent the Secunderabad-Manmad Express and a goods train on the same track, resulting in 20 deaths — was found drunk, Railway Minister Nitish Kumar has directed all general managers (GMs) to prepare dossiers on operations staff. With strict instructions: not to deploy habitual drinkers or anybody with a drinking problem on duty that can compromise the safety of passengers.The Ghatnandur pointsman was suspended with four others. ‘‘If it was known that the pointsman used to drink on duty, he would not have been deployed,’’ Nitish said.Staff at positions crucial to safety will now be deployed on the basis of dossiers prepared by the GMs. The dossiers will be prepared for the entire running staff, including the station master and the assistant station master. The GMs, who were in the Capital today for a conference on safety, were warned that no laxity will be tolerated.Nitish later announced other measures for safety on tracks. The GMs will now also be held responsible in case of serious accidents. ‘‘We are giving the GMs additional financial powers by increasing their safety-related budget from Rs 3 crore to Rs 10 crore. But with this will come additional responsibility and accountability,’’ the Minister said.No longer will a GM be able to get away by simply looking at ‘‘inspection reports’’ filed by officers: ‘‘He will have to personally go and inspect the zone,’’ Nitish added. But railway safety officials said the measures are cosmetic. ‘‘Records about drinking among drivers are already being maintained under the categories of habitual, casual and non-drinkers. Hundreds of drivers have been listed as habitual drinkers but rarely has anybody not been permitted to drive,’’ said an official. About 15,000 railways drivers are on duty every day and each one undergoes a breath-analyser test before starting.The official said that the move to hold GMs responsible for senior accidents too was not new: ‘‘Both the GM and the divisional railway manager with senior officials were suspended following the Gaisal tragedy in 1999.”
