Railway Minister Lalu Prasad on Sunday announced recruitment of 80,000 personnel by the year 2006 to ensure safety and security in railway services.
Talking to reporters after the two-day Conference of general managers of the zonal railways to chalk out strategies for the implementation of various schemes promised in the Common Minimum Programme, Prasad promised to fill up vacancies for SCs/STs and OBCs.
Expressing satisfaction over the performance of railways in the past five months, he revealed plans to start a superfast train running at a speed of 150 km/hr between Delhi and Agra. Beginning next year, the railways would start operating trains running at a speed of 130 km/hr from different places of the country.
Stating that all districts will have computerized railway reservation within the next two years, the minister said commuters would have reservation inquiry facility across the country within the next two years. The facility has already been started at Patna and Bangalore stations on an experiment basis.
He also announced that 'Village on Wheels', the common man's Palace on Wheels, would be launched by October. All the zonal managers have been asked to coordinate with each other in the successful operation of the train, sources told PTI.
The conference, the first since the United Progressive Alliance government came to power, resolved to step up the campaign for plugging leakage of revenue by continuing the sustained drive against ticketless travelling, undercharging of goods, fraudulent payment of salary and pension.
Prasad directed the GMs to personally inspect field units to sustain the drive as also to inspect themselves the working of various services like passenger amenities, catering, working of frontline staff, including TTEs.
The GMs have also been directed to coordinate with chief secretaries and state police chiefs to contain crimes on railways.
In the area of punctuality, cleanliness, safety and security of rail services, the sources said that GMs have been asked to be vigilant. "Any let up will be viewed seriously," the railway minister said.
Zonal managers who would perform well would be rewarded and those who fail to do so would get negative marks, 'which would probably affect their career'.