Ludhiana: Protesters seal main gate, top rail officials stranded in office for 12 hours

The additional divisional railway manager (ADRM) and senior divisional electric engineer (DEE) were stuck inside at the Electric Loco Shed as protesting railway workers on Thursday sealed the entry and exit points of the latter’s office for over 12 hours.

ADRM Rajender Kumar Kalra was visiting senior DEE Sachin Goyal at the time of the incident and they were let out around 9.30 pm.

The protest came after a 38-year-old railway worker was injured in an accident while working at the shed on Wednesday evening.

The victim, Mangal Das, suffered an electric shock while working on the roof of an engine and fell off, sustaining a serious head injury.

The agitating workers put the blame on the senior DEE and sought his immediate transfer. They alleged negligence of private workers was also a cause behind the accident. The workers called of the protest after an assurance from senior officials that a case will be registered against the private contractor concerned and senior DEE Sachin Goyal will be sent on a ‘long leave’. Mangal is admitted to the Christian Medical College (CMC), where doctors say he is ‘fighting for his life’. Doctors said Mangal has suffered a severe brain haemorrhage, multiple facial fractures and 40 to 50% burns.

He underwent a surgery late on Wednesday and the bleeding in the brain was cleaned. He is on a ventilator and unconscious, the doctors said.

“Mangal was working on the roof of the engine when the power in the lines above was turned on and he sustained shock and fell off. The power is not supposed to be turned on before all the workers come down,” said Northern Railway Men’s Union (NRMU) branch president Ajay Kumar.

He alleged that the keys to the power room are with the private workers who clean the filters on the sides of the engines.

“The filter work is outsourced to private contractors. They hire untrained and unexperienced workers who don’t have any idea about safety. When they finished their work, rather than making sure that no one was on the engine roof, they turned on the power and left,” he added.

“According to the rules, only after one work is completed that another can be started on an engine. However, the senior DEE has pressurised us to work quickly, which leads to safety protocols being ignored,” he added.

The protesting workers also sought compensation for the injured worker.

The ADRM visited the senior DEE office around 9 am on Thursday morning when the workers blocked the entrance to the office. They refused to let the ADRM out until the senior DEE was transferred.

“This is the fourth accident here in the last ten days. On October 26, two workers received arm and leg injuries due to lack of safety. On October 30, another worker’s arm was injured,” added Ajay Kumar.

“We want the senior DEE transferred. He has made the work environment toxic,” he said.