Kerala CM urges Centre to pay compensation to kin of sanitary workers who died in train mishap

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has urged the Union Railway Ministry to pay adequate compensation to the families of the four sanitary workers who died in an accident near Shoranur railway station in the state.

The CM also wanted the ministry to issue necessary instructions to ensure the safety of contract staff working under the Railways.

Four workers, including two women, from Tamil Nadu, died after the Thiruvananthapuram-bound Kerala Express hit them while they were engaged in collecting garbage from the railway track on Saturday.

In a letter to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday, Vijayan stated that his government was "deeply anguished" at the tragic incident that occurred on the river bridge near Shoranur Railway Station.

He said the workers were engaged in track cleaning by the railway contractor and understandably, they were unaware of the approaching train.

It is apparent that they had not undergone any training or made aware of safe working near railway tracks, the CM mentioned in the letter.

Vijayan said the mishap is the second after the one involving a temporary sanitation worker, who was swept away while cleaning the Amayizhanjan Canal here, under railway track a few months ago.

He was also employed by a Railway contractor.

"These unfortunate incidents show that essential safety precautions are not being taken by those who engage workers on contract.

I draw your kind immediate attention to the safety violations and request that suitable instructions be issued to ensure the safety of the contract staff," Vijayan said.

The CM also wanted the union minister to ensure that the Railways pay adequate monetary compensation to their families, considering the fact that the deceased workers were engaged in manual labour on a temporary basis.

In the wake of the incident, the Southern Railways terminated the services of the contractor who was awarded the work to clean railway tracks.