Union Railway minister Suresh Prabhu offers resignation over repeated train derailments, PM Modi asks him to wait 

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Union Railway minister Suresh Prabhu offers resignation over repeated train derailments, PM Modi asks him to wait.

New Delhi, August 23: The Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has offered to resign as the railway Minister, taking responsibility for the recent spate of train derailments. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reportedly asked him to wait.

Prabhu was facing severe criticism over the Utkal Express derailment in Muzaffarnagar on Saturday which killed 23 passengers and injured over 60 persons. Fourteen coaches of the train, which runs on the Puri-Haridwar-Kalinga route, had derailed at Khatauli in Muzaffarnagar.

Earlier in the day, Railway Board Chairman AK Mittal had tendered his resignation, which Prabhu was yet to accept.

Prabhu had directed the Railway Board Chairman to fix responsibility after the Muzaffarnagar incident. He also said that he would not allow laxity in operations by the Railway Board.

Member Engineering Railway Board Ashok Mittal was on Sunday sent on leave after the prima facie evidence showed negligence on the part of maintenance staff as the reason why the Utkal Express derailed.

Divisional Railway Manager Delhi and General Manager Northern Railways, who had himself suspended four railway officials, have also been sent on leave. The Chief Track Engineer, Northern Railway zone, has also been transferred, hours after Suresh Prabhu asked officials to make those responsible for the tragedy accountable by the end of this day.

RK Verma, Senior Divisional engineer, Delhi division, Rohit Kumar, Assistant engineer, Meerut, Delhi division, Inder Jeet Singh, Senior section engineer, Muzzafarnagar, and Pradeep Kumar, Junior engineer, Khatauli, were the four officials, suspended by the General Manager Northern Railways.

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