AMN/ New Delhi
A two-day international seminar on ‘Role of Safety, Security and Loss Prevention’ will begin on November 25. The 26th edition of the annual event is being organised by International Institute of Security and Safety Management.
Union micro, small and medium enterprises minister Kalraj Mishra will inaugurate the seminar.
Briefing reporters here today, Rajya Sabha MP R K Sinha said the issue of safety and security has assumed great significance in view of the rail accident near Kanpur yesterday in which 143 passengers lost their lives.
He said the Patna-Indore Express derailment has brought the issue of security and safety in the transport sector to the fore.
Mr Sinha said the anticipating the consequences has become quite important in the present scenario.
He said the moment the train, which met with a serious accident yesterday, chugged out for its destination, the driver complained of a problem in one of the bogeys. But when the driver sent out a distress message to higher authorities regarding that his complaint was not taken seriously, which resulted in such a heavy loss of lives.
The lawmaker said there are many such people like the person in authority who did not take the distress signal seriously and there is an urgent need to train them and sensitise them to such incidents.
Emphasising on such people’s training and sensitising, the Rajya Sabha MP said the train accident happened yesterday was unfortunate but more unfortunate was that it could have been prevented but was not done so.
He advised that the moment the driver of the train complained of a problem he could have been directed there and then to stop the public carrier right there, unless it was stuck in an isolated or naxal affected area, and the next day a team of engineers could have gone there and repair the train.
Mr Sinha warned that such casual behavior of the people related to the transport sector cannot be tolerated and in today’s circumstances there is a need to train drivers thoroughly.
He said the driver of a vehicle, when on road, is responsible for not only his safety but for the safety of pedestrians also.
Delegates from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nigeria and American, among others, will participate in the seminar, in which there is one session devoted to discuss the issue of demonitisation threadbare.
On the eve of the seminar, Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar will throw open an exhibition related to the conclave. Several Union Ministers, including Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha and Minister of State in Prime Minister Office Jitendra Singh, will also participate in the gathering.