The Chairman Railway Board Shri Ashwani Lohani has called upon the railwaymen across the country to always be on guard to ensure the highest level of safety in train operations and instill a renewed sense of confidence in railway passengers. He emphasized that safety should always remain principle focused area.

In a letter sent to all railwaymen, Shri Lohani stressed the need to resolve to bring about an all-round improvement in the working of the railways so that we are able to satisfactorily meet the hopes,  expectations and aspirations of the vast multitude.

Referring to the committed workforce of Indian Railways, the Chairman Railway board said that the sincerity, dedication and professional capability of the railway employees, both officers and staff is indeed unparalleled. It is the men on the field who, regardless of their personal inconveniences and hardships, ensure that the wheels of the Nation keep moving surely and safely.  This is what makes the Indian Railways the most visible symbol of dynamic delivery in our country.

He also pointed out that there is need to deal with the evils of corruption, sexual harassment at work places and alcohol abuse while on duty. These are social evils and need to  be dealt firmly with an iron hand, he added.

He also talked about cleanliness at railway stations, trains, operation ratio, welfare of the railwaymen, avoiding frills in the functions.

 Through the message, in an important development, Shri Ashwani Lohani, Chairman, Railway Board has established a dialogue with its 1.3 million employees of Railways by writing a letter to the employees of Indian Railways across the country. In the letter, Shri Lohani, Chairman, Railway Board, has asked all the employees to pitch in wholeheartedly to  restore the glorious image of Indian Railways. In the letter, Chairman, Railway Board has posed his faith in the employees’ sincerity, dedication & professional capabilities.

The complete text of the letter is as under:

 

ASHWANI LOHANI

 

Dear Colleagues,

 

          It is with immense pride that I share with you my happiness on assuming the position of Chairman, Railway Board. This is not only an onerous responsibility but also a challenge being the administrative head of this great organization, which is also the lifeline of the nation. At this critical juncture when we are facing a serious issue with the image perception of the railways, I expect all my fellow Railwaymen to pitch in wholeheartedly to set this perception right. I am sure, with your cooperation, we will be able to achieve and re-establish the pristine glory of the brand Indian Railways.

Indian Railways is indeed a great organization. The largest employer in the world under a single management, we are the wheels on which the nation moves. Spreading from Kanyakumari in the South to Baramulla in the North, Dibrugarh in the East to Okha in the West, this great monolith indeed touches almost the entire length and breadth of this great nation and thereby the lives of almost all the citizens of this nation. The sincerity, dedication and professional capability of the railway employees, both officers and staff is indeed unparalleled. It is the men on the field who, regardless of their personal inconveniences and hardships, ensure that the wheels of the Nation keep moving surely and safely.  This is what makes the Indian Railways the most visible symbol of dynamic delivery in our country.

After spending over 41 years with the railways, this appointment as the head of the railway family has touched the inner core of my heart and makes me extremely grateful to the almighty. Besides being a humbling moment, it also strengthens my resolve to put in my life and soul for the welfare and the forward march of this great organization.

The great Indian Railways has suffered a serious dent in the recent past due to certain unfortunate incidents. Such incidents often overshadow the great work that this organization performs day in and day out. Let us, therefore, resolve to bring about an all-round improvement in the working of the railways so that we are able to satisfactorily meet the hopes,  expectations and aspirations of the vast multitude.

SAFETY shall always remain our principal focus area. We have to always be on our guard to ensure the highest level of safety in train operations and instil a renewed sense of confidence in our esteemed passengers.

CLEANLINESS at stations and on trains is another area that is crying for attention and often contributes to our image. Similarly quality of CATERING and LINEN on trains is also an area of serious concern. We have to work in a mission mode to bring about quantitative and qualitative improvements in a very short time frame in these areas, while at the same time not losing sight of the fact that the railways needs an overall improvement to achieve total customer satisfaction.

Our Operating Ratio needs to be brought down considerably, not only by reducing expenditure but by increasing freight loading and also finding other means of non-conventional revenue generation to achieve a spurt in revenues.

I have always believed in the supremacy of the human resource. For me my employees, not the customers, come first.  For, it is my firm conviction, that a contented and happy employee is the prerequisite for the success of any organization. And this great organisation is no exception. I would therefore, expect employee welfare to be the core concern of all railwaymen.

At the same time we also have to deal with the evils of corruption, sexual harassment at work places and alcohol abuse while on duty. These are social evils and need to  be dealt firmly with an iron hand.

I personally believe in avoiding any frills in the form of bouquets, gifts, lavish celebrations, excessive protocol etc. These divert our attention from our primary responsibilities, hard core work and severely damage the organization also. Our focus needs to be on deliverance and deliverance alone. We also have to reform our processes, many of which have, with passage of time, become so complicated that they seriously hamper work. That remaining busy is not deliverance is a thought that also needs to be imbibed.

This is my personal appeal to all my fellow railwaymen to put in their best effort to restore the old glory of the lifeline of the nation – the great Indian Railways.

Jai Hind

 

(Ashwani Lohani)

 *****

AKS/MKV/ENS

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