‘Unfit coaches’ for BSF personnel: 4 Railway officials suspended
Alipurduar: The Indian Railways has suspended four officials of the Alipurduar Division under the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) for allegedly providing unfit coaches to BSF personnel travelling to Jammu for Amarnath Yatra duty.
To transport 1,200 BSF personnel from Tripura, Assam and Bengal, a special 24-coach train was arranged on Monday. The rake included AC, sleeper and general coaches. However, during a pre-departure inspection at Udaipur station in Tripura, BSF officials found the coaches in a deplorable state.
According to reports, the coaches were infested with cockroaches and rats. Fans and lights were not functioning in the intense heat, water supply was absent and berths lacked cushions. The roofs had holes and overall hygiene was poor. Deeming the train unfit for travel, BSF officials refused to board and shared video evidence on social media, tagging Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. The incident sparked outrage, raising questions about the treatment of personnel tasked with national security. In response, the Railway minister halted the movement, ordered a probe and suspended three senior section engineers and the Coaching Depot officer, who had reportedly certified the rake as “fit” after a cursory inspection.
Railway Minister Vaishnaw assured: “A thorough investigation is underway and strong measures will be taken to prevent such incidents in the future.” A replacement rake, clean and fully equipped, was later sent from Jammu. After inspection, the BSF personnel resumed their journey from Udaipur at 10 pm on Wednesday. The controversy has ignited debate over Indian Railways’ service standards. Comparisons were drawn to the quick arrangement of a Vande Bharat Express for Indian cricketers after an IPL match was cancelled, questioning why similar urgency was not shown for BSF personnel.
“The incident is deeply regrettable. A thorough probe has been initiated and accountability will be ensured,” said Ashwini Vaishnaw. NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer, Kapinjjal Kishore Sharma, confirmed the suspension and expressed regret on behalf of the Railway administration.
