New Delhi: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday informed the Rajya Sabha that 1,761 loco pilots failed breathalyser test in the last five years and were subjected to disciplinary action as per the laid down policies.
“In order to ensure safe train operation, Loco Pilots are required to undergo Breathalyser (BA) test in respective lobbies,” Vaishnaw said in his written reply.
“In the last five years, out of a total number of 8,28,03,387 BA tests conducted, 1,761 number of Loco Pilots, in which 674 number of passenger Loco Pilots and 1,087 number of Goods Loco Pilots, have failed the test,” he added.
The Railway Minister stated that the loco pilots, who have failed the test are not allowed to run the train and suitable disciplinary actions are taken against them as per the laid down policies.
The zone-wise details presented by Vaishnaw shows that out of 16 zones, the Northern Railway has the highest number of loco-pilots failing the BA tests. Here, in five years, 521 train drivers, which is almost 30 per cent of the total, failed the BA test from 1,00,12,456.
The Western Railway zone comes second with 287 loco pilots failing alcohol consumption test from a total of 63,80,006 BA tests.
The East Central Zone is third with 219 failures out of 73,05,838 BA tests.
The issues of the BA test were raised in the Upper House by BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi and CPI’s Binoy Viswam.
Besides, Viswam also asked “the expenditure incurred on the health, fitness and eyesight of locomotive pilots since 2019” and “programs and recreational activities arranged by the railways to keep locomotive pilots fit.”
Responding to the CPI MP’s question, Vaishnaw said, “The expenditure of approximately ?15,572 crores have been incurred on medical services during 2019-20 to 2022-23 to entire railway personnel, which includes Loco Pilots also.”
“Refresher programs including recreational activities like sports, yoga, meditation are arranged in training schools for Loco Pilots. Facilities like yoga, meditation also exist in running rooms where Loco Pilots take rest at outstations,” he added.
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