New Delhi, May 28 (PTI) A loco pilot union, All India Loco Running Staff Association, has urged the South East Central Railway to soften the punishment awarded to a freight loco pilot for using his mobile phone when the train was at a halt.
On May 19, 2025, a loco pilot of a freight train Pawan Gupta received an order from the disciplinary authority of SECR according to which all his travel benefits were withdrawn for six years for using a mobile phone on duty during the train's halt.
Officials from SECR said that the loco pilot can file an appeal against the order in accordance with the norms and plead for relief.
KC James, General Secretary, All India Loco Running Staff Association, in a letter addressed to the General Manager of SECR, said, "The Loco Pilot, Goods, Sri Pawan Gupta of Shahdol Crew Lobby of Bilaspur Division of SECR has given a harsh punishment of withdrawal of all Privilege passes and PTO’s (Privilege Ticket Order) for a long 6 years as penalty."
"He used his mobile phone when the train was detained for 2 hours at BDWA (Badhwabara) Station loop line just to enquire about the health of his wife. His mobile phone was kept switched off while the train was on run," the letter said.
Office bearers of AILRSA contended that it was a drastic punishment for a minor lapse ."We request your good self to mitigate the hardship," James said in the letter.
Loco pilots also held protests and demonstrations at Shahdol Crew Lobby of Bilaspur Division after the loco pilot was awarded the punishment.
The matter came to light on February 9, 2025, when officials while carrying out a random check of the Crew Voice and Video Recording System (CVVRS) of a goods train engine between New Katni Junction (NKJ) and Shahdol Railway Station (SDL) noticed that its loco pilot Gupta used his mobile phone when the train was halted for nearly two hours at BDWA station in Madhya Pradesh.
Railway officials issued him a "minor penalty chargesheet" on March 26, 2025, asking for an explanation for "using a mobile phone during a halt at BDWA (Badhawabra) station".
Gupta in his reply contested the allegations that he violated any rule and said that he only spoke to his wife who had been unwell for the past few days.
According to Gupta's submission, his phone was switched off during the train running from NKJ to BDWA, and when it halted at BDWA station on loop line 1 for almost two hours, he took out the phone from his bag and went to the station to freshen up.
While returning from the station to the train, he only enquired about his wife's health standing close to the engine.
However, the disciplinary authority, dissatisfied with his explanation, imposed the penalty.
The order allowed Gupta to raise his concerns regarding punishment with the additional divisional railway manager within 45 days from the date of receipt of the order.