Sri K. Murugesan, SMR, Salem Jn, (1st from left) receiving the Shield for Best Maintained Major Station from Sri Shubhranshu, DRM, Salem (in middle), as Sri R.S.Sinha, ADRM (first from right) looks on
Sri Vijayakumar, SM, Mohanur Stn, (1st from left) receiving the Shield for Best Maintained Minor Station from Sri Shubhranshu, DRM, Salem (in middle), as Sri R.S.Sinha, ADRM (first from right) looks on
Shri Shubhranshu, DRM, addressing the auidence
Shri Shubhranshu, DRM, Salem, during his address
A section of the large gathering of officers and staff of Salem Division, during the function
The 61st Railway Week Celebrations were held
today (18.04.2016) in the Salem Division of Southern Railway, at the Divisional
Office premises. The Railway Week is being celebrated all over Indian Railways
to commemorate the first train services in India, before 163 years, in 1853.
In the function, 14 shields
were awarded for various Railway Stations and Branches in Salem Division, for
the best maintenance, safest section, etc. Salem Junction received the Shield
for the Best Maintained Major Station and Mohanur was adjudged as the Best
Maintained Minor Station. Sri Murugesan, Station Manager, Salem, and Sri
Vijayakumar, Station Master, Mohanur, received the Shields from Sri
Shubhranshu, Divisional Railway Manager, Salem. In addition, Sri Shubhranshu
also presented Merit Certificates, Medals and Cash Awards to 240 Salem Division
employees including 4 officers, in the presence of Smt Jyotsna Prasad, President, Southern Railway Women's Welfare Organisation, Salem Division.
While addressing the
gathering, Shri Shubhranshu, expressed his happiness over the improved
performance of Salem Division, during the Fiscal Year 2015-16, despite the
tight economic trend that prevailed all over the Nation. He said that the
passenger earnings during the last fiscal has gone up by 4% to Rs.477 crores
eclipsing last year’s Rs.459 crores. He added that the Ticket Checking earnings
have seen a rise of 10.5% i.e. from Rs.4.49 crores to Rs.4.96 crores; other
coaching earnings by 11.04% ie. From Rs.36.3 crores to Rs.40.3 crores;
publicity earnings by 24% from Rs.4.63 crores to Rs.5.77 crores, catering
earnings by 34% from Rs. 2.08 crores to Rs.2.78 Crores and Parking Fees
earnings has gone up by 21% from Rs.3.08 crores to Rs.3.68 Crores, he said.
On the punctuality front, Sri
Shubhranshu said he was satisfied to note that the punctuality in operation of
trains had been improved to 95% as against the 93.5% despite a dip initially
due to change in reporting system. He also said that due to tight control on
expenditures, Salem Division was able to bring down the expenses by 10% i.e.
from Rs.990 crores to Rs.890 crores.
He said that various passenger
friendly steps have been taken by Salem Division, such as new station building
annex to Salem Junction, new station buildings at Coimbatore North,
Vijayamangalam & Thottipalayam, New Waiting Hall at Tirupur, new retiring
rooms at Karur, renovated garden in front of Erode Junction, paid AC waiting
halls at Erode and Coimbatore, 15 Smart Card Operated Ticket Vending Machines,
6 Cash Cum Coin Operated Ticket Vending Machines, etc.
He further stated that by the
month end, 2 escalators would be commissioned in Salem Junction, and more
escalators are coming up in Erode and Coimbatore, for which orders have been
placed already. The first Yatri Ticket Suvidha Kendra (private reserved ticket
booking counter) in Southern Railway has been installed in Erode, he added. The
New Modern Station Building is coming up in Periyanaickenpalayam Station in the
Coimbatore North-Mettupalayam Section, with the assistance of a Corporate
Company, under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) scheme, for the first
time. In the near future, 40 drinking water vending plants will be
installed in six major stations, he said.
Shri Shubhranshu said that
Salem Division has effectively redressed the passenger grievances through
multi-modal contacts such as telephone, Twitter, Facebook, Whatsapp, E-Mail,
Grievance Web Portal and the passengers from all over the Nation had expressed
their satisfaction in the swift redressal of their grievances by Salem Division
authorities. By the cooperation of passengers, and the aggressive campaign
under Swachch Bharat Mission with the assistance from, NGOs, Schools and
Colleges, 3 of Salem Division A Category Stations have found place in the top
20 cleanest stations in the Nation viz. Salem, Erode, and Mettupalayam,
with Salem ranked the 7th Cleanest
A Category Station and Coimbatore the 13th Cleanest ‘A1’ Category Station all
over India, he added.
On Safety front, Shri
Shubhranshu, said that 5 unmanned level crossings have been closed in the last
year, 10 are awaiting sanction from Commissioner for Railway Safety, that will
be eliminated soon. 20 more will be eliminated shortly, he said.
On Staff Welfare front, he
said that during 2015, 1345 Salem Division staff have been promoted as against
627 in the year 2014, thus an increase by 114%. All the service records of
about 9000 Salem Division staff have been scanned it has been planned to
handover them to the retirees in a CD, which is a first in Indian Railways, Sri
Shubhranshu said. He also said that the new 60 bedded Divisional Hospital
inaugurated recently at Erode at a cost of Rs.5.5 Crores, has been rated
on par with the Corporate Hospitals by many. The EDP (Computer Centre) has been
completely shifted from Palakkad Division and the new Pay Roll System called
IPAS is getting ready to handle the pay rolls of Salem Division staff, in Salem
itself.
He congratulated all the
award winners and said that due to the efficient functioning of Personnel
Branch, Salem Division bagged both Personnel Efficiency Shield and the Man
Power Planning Shield in the Southern Railway.
Officers and staff attended
the function in huge numbers, along with their family members. Cultural
programs by the staff of Salem Division entertained the audience. Earlier, Sri
R.S.Sinha, welcomed the gathering and in the end Sri G. Janarthanan, Divisional
Personnel officer, proposed the vote of thanks.
