Railway officials suspended after BSF flags ‘unhygienic' train coaches
The train was allotted to the paramilitary force on Monday for moving its troops, who will be deployed during the Amarnath Yatra from July 3 to August 9, from Udaipur station to Jammu Tawi.
The Amarnath Yatra is a Hindu pilgrimage to the Amarnath Cave in the Himalayas, a sacred site for the deity Shiva. The upcoming yatra is the first major pilgrimage in Jammu and Kashmir after terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22.
The Union government had earlier sanctioned the deployment of 581 companies of paramilitary personnel to ensure adequate security for the pilgrimage, The Indian Express reported.
On Tuesday, the BSF train commandant submitted a complaint to the North Eastern Railway, stating that it was 'not possible for troops to travel such a long distance' in the dilapidated coaches, according to the newspaper.
The officer, in the complaint to the Agartala Station Manager, sought the immediate replacement of the dilapidated coaches.
The complaint stated that the interiors of the coaches, including toilet doors, were broken, The Indian Express reported. It added that the train was also infested with cockroaches and other insects, and had filthy berths and washrooms with no water or electricity.
'It is not possible for troops to travel such a long distance… in unhygienic/filthy and inhumane conditions' the BSF train commandant said, adding that there was also a possibility that 'most of them may fall sick even before deployment'.
The officer also flagged an ' inexcusable delay ' in allotting the special train, which led to a delay of 72 hours in the departure of the troops, The Print reported.
Several videos and images of the coaches were also widely circulated on social media.
On Wednesday, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw took 'serious note of the incident involving the deployment of an unsuitable/old train', The Indian Express quoted an unidentified ministry official as saying.
An investigation was ordered and four officials – the coaching depot officer and three senior section engineers – of the Alipurduar Railway Division were suspended, the official added.
A special train was also arranged exclusively for BSF personnel, the official said, adding that Vaishnaw had 'made it clear that the dignity and comfort of security forces are of utmost priority and that such negligence will not be tolerated at any level'.
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