Row over 'dirty' train for BSF, 4 suspended

NEW DELHI: Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has suspended four officials after controversy erupted over an old rake with dirty coaches being provided to transport BSF personnel from Tripura to J&K, for deployment during the Amarnath Yatra.

"The train's rake was changed. And action has been taken. Four officials responsible for the lapse have been suspended," Vaishnaw said Wednesday.Railway ministry stated: "The railway minister said the dignity of security forces is paramount and such negligence will not be tolerated at any level. An enquiry has also been ordered, so that such lapses don't recur". The coaching depot officer and three senior section engineers of Alipurduar division were suspended.

"Another train was used for transportation of BSF personnel," said an official.Earlier in the day, after social media users, reacting to videos that surfaced online, criticised Railways, Northeast Frontier Railway Zone dismissed the episode. "The allegation that BSF was provided such kind of coach for travel is incorrect. Coaches are provided for travel only after necessary maintenance, repairs and cleaning. This video is of an unexamined coach which was being sent for repair and was not meant for travel of BSF forces," it posted.About 1,200 BSF personnel, bound for Jammu Tawi, were scheduled to board the special train, starting from Udaipur in Tripura on June 6. The train had to make a few stops, with personnel also boarding from Tripura, Assam and West Bengal.