Union Minister for Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, on Thursday lambasted the Opposition, emphasizing the NDA government’s substantial efforts in railway recruitment and improvements. He contrasted the recruitment figures from 2004 to 2014 under the UPA with those from 2014 to 2024 under the NDA, highlighting a significant increase.
“Only 4,11,000 employees were recruited in railways during the UPA’s tenure, whereas in 10 years of the NDA’s governance, this tally goes up to 5,02,000,” Vaishnaw stated. He also announced the implementation of an annual recruitment calendar, with vacancies being advertised four times a year, starting from January 2024. Currently, there are 40,565 vacancies waiting to be filled.
In a sharp rebuke to the Opposition’s criticism, Vaishnaw said, “We are not the people who make reels; we do hard work, unlike you people who make reels for show off.”
The minister’s remarks come in response to the Congress party’s demands for his resignation following the Kanchanjunga Express accident. The Congress accused the government of “destroying” Indian Railways and claimed “criminal negligence” by the Modi administration. They also mocked Vaishnaw for arriving at the accident site on a motorcycle, questioning whether he was a rail minister or a “reel minister.”
Vaishnaw defended his ministry’s actions, pointing out significant improvements in the working conditions of Loco pilots. “The average working and rest times of Loco pilots are governed by rules formulated in 2005, which were amended in 2016 to provide more facilities. All 558 running rooms are now air-conditioned, and over 7,000 loco cabs have been air-conditioned, a stark contrast to the zero air-conditioned cabs during the previous administration.”
The minister accused the Opposition of creating an “environment of fear” among the daily 2 crore railway commuters, urging them to acknowledge the NDA government’s tangible efforts in enhancing the railway system rather than resorting to baseless criticism.