New Delhi, Dec 26 (PTI) The Eastern Railway zone has set up a probe to ascertain if excessive work pressure drove a track maintainer to commit suicide on December 24 in Asansol rail division in West Bengal, officials said.
Mrityunjay Jha, a 46-year-old track maintainer who was admitted to a local railway hospital for treatment, allegedly hanged himself from the window bar of a washroom.
“So far, as we know he did not report any work pressure to his seniors, assistant engineer or senior divisional engineer. A probe has been ordered which will report in seven days,” Chetna Nand Singh, Divisional Railway Manager, Asansol, told PTI.
“Besides, junior administrative grade officers have been asked to talk to track maintainers to get the facts of the case,” Singh added.
The All India Track Maintainers Union (AIRTU) alleged that Jha needed medical leave as he was not well but his seniors denied it, saying there was a manpower shortage.
“After he was denied leave, he had no option but to get himself admitted to a local railway hospital. It is believed that he was under extreme pressure which drove him to commit suicide,” Chand Mohammed, AIRTU working president, said and demanded a thorough probe of the whole issue.
Kantharaju AV, all India national general secretary of AIRTU, claimed that due to a shortage of manpower in the track monitoring department of the Railways, the existing workforce is being unduly pressured to work beyond their physical capabilities.
“Work pressure has become the biggest killer for track maintainers. They are either committing suicides or being run over by trains due to too much mental pressure making them oblivious to their personal safety at work,” Kantharaju said.
AIRTU has been demanding the implementation of a Rakshak device in all rail divisions which provides an alert to trackmen of an approaching train.
“As per the Railway’s report on the Rakshak device, it ensured full safety and not a single run-over happened during its pilot project in Secunderabad division in 2018. The report said that its performance was very encouraging, however, it looks like it is costly and that’s the reason the Railway Board dumped it,” Kantharaju added. PTI JP IJT
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