Bulletin of the Central Committee of CPI ( ML )
Vol . 15 Issue : 06 June , 2023 Rs . 15 / -
The Horrific Railway Accident in Odisha is the Result of Callous Neglect and Indifference of our Rulers and Railway Administration towards the Safety of People !
CPI ( ML ) Central Committee Expressed its Condolences to the Victims
The train accident at Bahanaga Bazar near Balasore is certainly heartbreaking and horrific . The death of so many passengers is very sad and CPI ( ML ) expressed deep condolences to the victims . This terrible accident has exposed the weakness of our railway system .
It is surprising how two trains run on the same track despite the claims of applying new technology and advanced means of communication . It shows that the issue of advanced technology and communication is just a publicity stunt .
There are more number of goods trains running on the train line than passenger trains . These goods trains running within Odisha mainly carry mineral resources like coal , iron ore , chromite , bauxite etc . are being heavily used by track to transport them abroad . This too increases wear and tear of tracks . Hence the necessary infrastructure is not being developed accordingly . In this accident also , a train derailed after hitting a stationary goods train and several bogies ended up on the opposite track and the train travelling in the opposite direction crashed into the derailed train .
Most of the passengers who died were passengers sitting in the general compartment of Bengaluru-Howrah and Coromandel Express trains . These people mostly from Bihar , Bengal , and Odisha who are employed as irregular and unorganised workers in the southern states . Here the government is very much interested to provide every traveling facilities for the ultra-rich sections by Vande Bharat Express or by Air , while on the other hand most of the trains have few number of general compartments . The number of second class reserve and unreserved coaches are limited . Therefore , more than three times the designated number of passengers are carried in general coaches at any time . Therefore , in any train accident , passengers of general coaches are the highest number of dead-injured passengers . We can see it in this accident also .
Most of the services of railways are now privatized . It is either outsourced or contractualised to private parties . The system from traffic to maintenance of tracks , signaling system being privatised undermining the safety of passengers . Unaccountable is the order of the day . Although the number of both passenger and freight trains have increased manifolds , the officers and personnel to manage the railway system is not increased accordingly . Rather it is reduced . Nearly three lakh twelve thousand posts are lying vacant in the Railway . Almost fifty percent posts in safety and maintenance department is lying vacant . As a result , the work load on the personnel is increasing a lot . That ’ s why man-made mistakes and accidents are taking place regularly .
Due to lack of minimal investment in track improvement / repair , several accidents occur every year . Railway is now not a service but a source of ultra profit .
In fact , this horrific accident was the result of a systematic failure and continued negligence .
It is a matter of uncontrollable extreme anguish and severe agony to the entire nation that in a so-called accident of railways at Bahanaga Bazar railway station of Balasore district of Odisha more than 300 people were dead and more than thousand people were severely injured and that many more deaths and severely injured are expected .
Bulletin of the Central Committee of CPI ( ML )