Railways deletes reference to loco pilots watching cricket
why Maharashtra was voting in ¢ve phases in the current Lok Sabha election, he said, “It is because Mr. Modi can campaign here as much as possible... Those in power are worried.”
He alleged that PM Modi’s frequent remark that if voted to power, the INDIA bloc would bring reservation based on religion, was an attempt to create social tension.
“We have never said this. This is Mr. Modi’s creation,” Mr. Pawar said.
Mr. Modi has also been speaking about redistribution of wealth and inheritance tax, which does not have any mention in the Congress manifesto, the veteran politician added.
While campaigning in the State, Mr. Modi targeted Mr. Pawar, saying, “There is a bhatakti atma (wandering soul) in Maharashtra. If it does not manage success it spoils others’ good work. Maharashtra has been a victim of it.” Mr. Pawar’s NCP (SP) is contesting 10 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance with Shiv Sena (UBT), which is ¢ghting on 21 seats and Congress 17 seats.
The Railway Ministry has deleted the reference made to loco pilots “engrossed in watching a cricket match on their mobile phones” in the Vizianagaram train accident in safety circulars issued later which banned the crew from using Bluetooth headsets, ocial sources said on Wednesday.
The issue pertains to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s statement made in New Delhi on March 3, 2024, that the accident “happened because After The Hindu published both the loco pilot the report “Loco and co-pilot were distracted pilots were not watching by the cricket match cricket at time of crash” which was going on.” based on the ¢nal inquiry
He was referring to the report of the Commissioner rear-end collision between of Railway Safety (CRS) Train No. 08504 Visakhapatnam-Rayagada on Saturday, the Minister Passenger clari¢ed that the ¢ndings with Train No. 08532 of the CRS would be ¢nal. Visakhapatnam-Palasa Passenger There was tentative initial between Kantakapalle possibility that the loco pilots and Alamanda railway may have been distracted stations in Waltair at the time of the Division of East Coast Railway accident, he said. in Andhra Pradesh on Soon after Mr. Vaishnaw’s October 29, 2023, which statement, the Railways left 17 people, including issued circulars banning the loco pilot and his assistant, the crew from using
injured.nd dead and 34 Bluetooth headsets while
The spot of the rail accident in A.P.’s Kantakapalli.
on duty. In a circular, the Southern Railway expressed shock that the crew members were engrossed in watching a cricket match on their mobile phones, facilitated by the use of Bluetooth devices of headphones. “This blatant disregard for safety protocols is utterly unacceptable and places countless loves at grave risk,” it said in a circular.
In a similar circular the South East Central Railway said, “Disturbingly, it was revealed that the crew members were distracted by watching a cricket match on their mobile phones, facilitated by the use of Bluetooth devices or headphones. This egregious disregard for safety protocols is unacceptable and puts countless lives at risk,” the circular said.
But with no evidence forthcoming later in the mobile data usage analysis to substantiate the allegation that the loco pilots were watching cricket and the ¢nal investigation report of the Commissioner of Railway Safety not making any mention about the same, the Railways have recalled the safety circulars, the sources said.
The railways have withdrawn the circular and issued a fresh circular after deleting the portions referring to the loco pilots watching cricket.