MP for supply of safety gear to railway staff

“Thousands of workers from engineering, traffic, electrical, signal, mechanical and similar departments are working in open line in large crowds. It was a similar situation during the first wave outbreak, when employees were deployed in violation of social distancing norms and without protective gear. They continue to toil the same way even now by risking their lives. It has also been brought to my notice that even the safety precautions for differently-abled staff were not implemented in Erode shed,” said the MP in a petition to railway authorities.

The MP claimed that more than 700 railway staff died during the first wave. “Hence, the workers should be given PPE kits, regular temperature checks should be done and special leave should be granted for those infected by the virus. Also, authorities should engage only 50 per cent workforce as employees could not come to work due to suspension of public transport service. Therefore, special trains should be operated for the transportation of employees in all divisions,” he added.

The MP also wanted the railways to hold adequate stock of oxygen and medicine in the railway hospitals as the second wave of COVID-19 has been spreading fast resulting in acute shortage of oxygen. The death toll is also surging amidst a short supply in vaccines, he said.