THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala's Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, has raised concerns regarding the safety of contract workers employed by the railways.
In a letter, he urged Union Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnav to ensure the safety of contract workers involved in maintenance and cleaning operations on railway tracks.
This letter follows the unfortunate incident where four contract laborers were struck by the Kerala Express on November 2 while clearing trash from the tracks.
"The Kerala government is deeply anguished by the tragic incident that occurred on the river bridge near Shoranur Railway station, where four workers, including two women from Tamil Nadu, lost their lives. They were engaged in the track cleaning process by the railway contractor. It is apparent that they had not received any training or awareness of safe working practices near railway tracks.
Pinarauyi Viayan said this was the second incident after the earlier case of a temporary sanitation worker who was swept away and drowned while cleaning the Amayizhanjan Canal at Thiruvananthapuram under the railway track. He was also employed by a railway contractor.
These incidents reveal that essential safety precautions are not being adhered to by those who engage contract workers," the Chief Minister said.
He stated that since those who lost their lives were engaged in manual labor on a temporary basis, the railway ministry should ensure that their families are paid adequate monetary compensation.
The official statement released by the railways on the mishap stated that after the completion of the work, about 10 laborers took the railway bridge instead of using the road to cross over to the other side. They took the railway bridge without informing the railway officials.
The railways have initiated action to terminate the contract, and a criminal case was registered against the contractor for failing to ensure the safety of workers. An ex gratia payment of ₹1 lakh was also announced for the families of the deceased workers.
