Tue Apr 15 12:58:07 UTC 2025: ## CITU Accuses BJP of Hasty Railway Privatisation, Neglecting Safety
**Visakhapatnam, April 15, 2025** – The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has accused the BJP government of rapidly privatising the Indian Railways, alleging that this prioritizes corporate interests over safety and worker welfare. The union claims key departments, including Signal & Telecommunications and Track Maintenance, have already been privatized.
Addressing the media, CITU State secretary R.K.S.V. Kumar announced a state-level seminar on April 19th in Visakhapatnam to advocate for improved railway safety and an end to privatization. The seminar will feature prominent CITU leaders, including All India president K. Hemalata.
Kumar highlighted a significant decrease in railway employees from 15,14,816 in 2000-01 to 12,52,200 by March 31, 2024, leaving 262,616 posts vacant. He criticized the government for ignoring recommendations from various committees regarding accident prevention and for insufficient funding allocated to safety improvements. He also pointed to the outsourcing of maintenance work, leading to decreased quality due to lack of supervision, and the increased workload and stress placed on existing employees, including loco pilots working 14-hour days without adequate rest.
The CITU further alleged that the privatization of safety-related duties has contributed to a rise in accidents, primarily derailments and level crossing incidents. Kumar stated that despite the railways generating a profit of ₹2.40 lakh crore in 2024-25, only around ₹5,000 crore was spent annually on passenger safety. He also criticized the deployment of 7 lakh contract workers for section maintenance without adherence to labor laws. The seminar aims to raise public awareness about these issues and push for policy changes.
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