Piyush Goyal-led Indian Railways has lost 1,952 personnel, like frontline employees such as station masters, to the COVID-19 pandemic due to the fact last year. Even now, almost 1,000 railwaymen are having infected by covid on a day-to-day basis, according to the Railways Ministry. Suneet Sharma, Chairman Railway Board, was quoted in an IE report saying that as of now, the national transporter has 4,000 beds at the moment occupied by railway employees and their households. Since March last year, as several as 1,952 railway personnel have died due to Covid-19 as of yesterday, he stated. Indian Railways had augmented the quantity of beds and constructed oxygen plants in rail hospitals, he added.
According to the All Indian Station Masters’ Association (AISMA), 113 station masters have died in the pandemic so far, most of them in the second wave this year. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has lost 50 males so far. The association, in letters to the Railway Board and a number of railway divisions, has demanded factors such as specific insurance coverage cover of Rs 50 lakh for each and every of them, as properly as quick vaccination of their cadre. The truncated employees have to work overtime for the reason that of several station masters falling sick, due to the fact railway stations can not be left devoid of station masters.
Employees’ unions of Indian Railways- India’s biggest industrial utility employer, have cited that almost one lakh personnel have been struck by the novel coronavirus through the pandemic, of which two-third have recovered so far. At present, according to the officials, the concentrate is on vaccinating the employees. In a number of railway zones and divisions, Indian Railways’ work is on to vaccinate personnel in batches via coordination with state governments. According to the report, when vaccination for frontline workers was opened, railway health-related employees and RPF personnel got vaccinated. However, other categories such as station masters, ticket checkers, guards and drivers have been not incorporated in that drive.
Recently, the All India Railwaymen’s Federation wrote to Railway Minister demanding compensation on a par with frontline workers for railway personnel who lost their lives though working through the pandemic crisis. They stated that these railwaymen deserved compensation of Rs 50 lakh, identical as the quantity that is announced for frontline workers and not compensation of Rs 25 lakh, which is paid to them.