Title - Kudumbashree units to make bogies cleaner

If the words of the district administration are any indication, more number of women will be able to make a decent livelihood from the Railways. 

The district administration in association with Southern Railway is planning to entrust the cleaning work in bogies to the Kudumbashree Mission.  “If everything goes as planned, the first work will be done on ‘Sabari Express’,” said District Collector P I Sheik Pareeth.

The hygienic conditions at the railway stations and trains especially bogies have always been looked down upon by passengers.

Pareeth said that each unit comprising 10 women will be entrusted to clean a train with 20 to 22 bogies which means one worker will have to handle two bogies. The authorities are planning to give Rs 100 to clean a bogie. Kudumbashree has welcomed the innovative idea but said that they would negotiate the rate as Rs 100 would be minimal. “It would be of immense help if the Railways give Rs 150 for each bogie instead of Rs 100,” they said. 

According to them, Rs 150 can fetch them a descent amount since one person will be assigned to clean two bogies and they can earn Rs 300 per day,” they said.

At the outset, the district administration thought of rendering the services of Kudumbashree workers to clean the premises in and around the railway stations. “But when railway officials pointed out the untidy condition in bogies, we suggested the service of Kudumbashree women in this regard,” Pareeth said.  Such a plan was mooted following the success  of earlier joint ventures of district administration and the Railways.

“The railway ticket reservation counter at Civil Station, Kakkanad, has already met with success. Both the departments are planning to appoint physically-challenged persons at the counters and other sections in the Railways,” he said.

The railway officials have also welcomed tie-ups with district administration to implement successful projects.