THE Minister for Railways Mujibul Haque has said one-third of the country’s Railway Stations are now closed and blamed shortages of manpower to run them. Speaking to Parliament, he made disclosure in Parliament on Monday depicting a dismal picture of the Bangladesh Railway. What it does mean is that our trains don’t stop at around 33 percent of the Railway Stations across the country denying people to use the low cost commuters.
Reports said over one-third of Railway Posts are also vacant following retirement of old employees but recruitment business is so scandalous that over 13,611 such posts are remaining vacant. A railway minister lost job in the past and some senior railway officers were jailed for bribe making recruitment task difficult.
Train service is always rated as cheaper poor men’s ride. But not only railway stations were shut, railway lanes at some places also has been shut because they are dilapidated and risky for safe journey. But the question is why the Minister is blaming shortage of fund because there should not be any shortage of fund given the size of the Railway budget and the need to run Railway throughout the country.
A report found in 2015 said around two crores people in North-West and southern region were facing trouble and counting additional fare for bus and intercity trains. The number of people who had once used railway for cheaper journey has almost halved now for closure of stations and some Railway lanes. There is no denying of the fact that highly corrupt officials and employees are misusing large part of the railway budget. The government has no control over them and rather party leaders have joined hands in many cases. Their local procurement is highly costly to grab money from higher quotations, their cost of buying Railway wagons and locomotives is twice as much of the real cost as news reports say and overtime bills are almost twice of the normal pay.
The Railway Trade Union is so powerful because they are members of the labour front of the ruling party and their greed for unaccounted income is not unknown. So the easiest way is to shut one station after another to save money to make it available to Railway employees and contractors under the ongoing system. Local people will not come to demand accountability for closing a railway station or railway section but, the government knows the challenge from within will be too big to sustain.
We would suggest that the government must prove its leadership competency to run the railway instead of closing stations one after another. Any sensible government can’t wait with so many stations closed and people deprived of services. The situation must improve immediately.
Reports said over one-third of Railway Posts are also vacant following retirement of old employees but recruitment business is so scandalous that over 13,611 such posts are remaining vacant. A railway minister lost job in the past and some senior railway officers were jailed for bribe making recruitment task difficult.
Train service is always rated as cheaper poor men’s ride. But not only railway stations were shut, railway lanes at some places also has been shut because they are dilapidated and risky for safe journey. But the question is why the Minister is blaming shortage of fund because there should not be any shortage of fund given the size of the Railway budget and the need to run Railway throughout the country.
A report found in 2015 said around two crores people in North-West and southern region were facing trouble and counting additional fare for bus and intercity trains. The number of people who had once used railway for cheaper journey has almost halved now for closure of stations and some Railway lanes. There is no denying of the fact that highly corrupt officials and employees are misusing large part of the railway budget. The government has no control over them and rather party leaders have joined hands in many cases. Their local procurement is highly costly to grab money from higher quotations, their cost of buying Railway wagons and locomotives is twice as much of the real cost as news reports say and overtime bills are almost twice of the normal pay.
The Railway Trade Union is so powerful because they are members of the labour front of the ruling party and their greed for unaccounted income is not unknown. So the easiest way is to shut one station after another to save money to make it available to Railway employees and contractors under the ongoing system. Local people will not come to demand accountability for closing a railway station or railway section but, the government knows the challenge from within will be too big to sustain.
We would suggest that the government must prove its leadership competency to run the railway instead of closing stations one after another. Any sensible government can’t wait with so many stations closed and people deprived of services. The situation must improve immediately.
