Ashwani Lohani has the unenviable task of getting the railways back on track
On August 24, Ashwani Lohani arrived in Rail Bhavan in Delhi to take charge as chairman of the Railway Board. Before he entered the building, he paused for a moment and bowed down, as if acknowledging that he would need divine intervention to put matters right in the chief decision-making body of Indian Railways. For, unlike in the case of Air India, where he was chairman and managing director till the previous day, financials were just one of several problems plaguing the railways.
Soon after taking charge, he addressed nearly 3,000 officials at the Railway Bhavan auditorium, which is equipped to accommodate just a third of that figure. He told them that, together, they would end “VIP culture” and bring in “working culture”.
The system of allocating berths at short notice under ‘emergency quota’, perhaps, best symbolises what Lohani described as VIP culture. As many as 60,000 berths a day can be allocated this way, even though there is no guideline on what constitutes an emergency, nor a transparent system to allocate the berths. Mostly used by politicians and VIPs, emergency quota is a major source of corruption in the railways, as berths are often sold in the open market.
Lohani’s primary concern, however, will be different. “The first priority is safety,” he told journalists. “And then cleanliness of the stations.”
There have been five major derailments in the past one month, including two after Lohani took charge. The first accident under Lohani’s watch happened less than a week after he took charge. On August 29, the engine and nine coaches of the Nagpur-Mumbai Duronto Express derailed in Maharashtra.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September 24, 2017-Ausgabe von THE WEEK.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September 24, 2017-Ausgabe von THE WEEK.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Indira's Bang
How Indira Gandhi secured the borders, ended food import, before going for the test
Who's Afraid Of A New Nuclear Doctrine?
It has been 50 years since Pokhran I. With its capabilities increasing and global power equations changing, does India need to look at reviewing its nuclear doctrine?
I don't think things will change because of the win
When independent filmmaker Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light scripted history by winning the Grand Prix at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, it was not just a proud moment for the film's team, but also a triumph for the collective aspirations of women across the country.
Sid for kids
As a child, Sidhartha Mallya wished he had someone in his life to tell him what he wants to convey in his latest children's book, Sad Glad
Ready to roll
Following the Pokhran tests, India has operationalised a credible deterrent that the nation should be proud of
Breaking nuclear apartheid
How India protected its ability to move ahead with the nuclear weapons programme despite not signing the NPT
Power point
The Pokhran tests launched India's march towards being a full partner and participant in the global nuclear order
Shock and awe
India’s comprehensive capability in the nuclear domain is the result of its autonomous pursuit of the atomic programme against all odds
Spied on none, stole from none
A senior scientist during the Pokhran test in 1974 and chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission during the tests in 1998, Dr Rajagopala Chidambaram has been a key figure in the Indian nuclear journey.
Leader with a difference
ARVIND KEJRIWAL'S RETURN TO JAIL APPEARS IMMINENT. BUT HIS BLISTERING POLL CAMPAIGN MAY HAVE BRIGHTENED INDIA BLOC’S PROSPECTS