"Trackmen are not even allowed to sit for the departmental exam," Rahul Gandhi said
Noting that trackmen are the most neglected employees of the Indian Railways, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi highlighted their problems on Tuesday, while stressing that safe rail travel of crores of people is possible only due to their hard work.
Mr Gandhi made the remarks in a post on X, along with a video of his recent interaction with trackmen at the Delhi Cantonment railway station.
"There is 'neither promotion nor emotion' in the system for the trackman brothers who keep the railways dynamic and safe. Trackmen are the most neglected employees in the Indian Railways. I got an opportunity to meet them and understand their problems and challenges," the Congress leader said in his post in Hindi on the microblogging platform.
Trackmen walk eight to 10 kilometres every day carrying 35 kg of equipment, with their job starting on the tracks and retiring from the tracks itself, he added.
"Trackmen are not even allowed to sit for the departmental exam, which other employees clear to get better posts. The trackman brothers stated that every year, around 550 trackmen lose their lives in accidents while working because there are not enough arrangements for their safety," Mr Gandhi said.
"These major demands of the trackman brothers who work day and night in adverse conditions without basic facilities must be heard at all costs. Every trackman should be provided with a safety device during work so that they can receive timely information about the arrival of a train on the track. Trackmen should get the opportunity for promotions through a departmental examination," he added.
Safe rail travel of crores of Indians is possible only due to the hard work of the trackmen, he said, adding that "we have to ensure both their safety and progress".
In the video, Mr Gandhi asks the trackmen about their issues and safety concerns.
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