Lalu suspends staff for dereliction of duty

PATNA, Apr 29(UNI): Railway Minister Lalu Prasad has ordered departmental proceeding after suspending several employees, including the station manager and health inspector posted at Sonpur, for dereliction of duty.

Chief Public Relations Officer(CPRO) of East Central Railway(ECR) A K Chandra told UNI last night that the minister was on a 'flying inspection' of Sonpur station.

He was shocked to see filth on the station and surrounding areas.

He ordered suspension of the station manager and health inspector for maladministration.

Prasad also went to Akshayvat Rai Nagar station of ECR were he suspended all the ticket observers and booking clerks posted at Murliganj station for dereliction of duty on the complains of passengers of the Saharsa-Amritsar Janseva express and ordered departmental proceding against them, the CPRO informed.

The passengers had also complained against the booking clerks and observers for extracting extra money for tickets.

The railway minister was shocked to know the details as the fare for Murliganj to Jalandhar was reduced to Rs 226 in the current railway budget, the CPRO said, adding Mr Prasad also instructed the ECR General Manager to notify the current fares at every station.

He directed the railway officials present there to take immediate action with the help of vigilance sleuths of railways to check such menace and ordered an inquiry into the inferior construction undergoing at platform number two at Akshayvat Rai Nagar station.