RTI Chapter 02

Powers
and Duties of its officers and Employees.

POWERS & DUTIES OF THE CHIEF COMMISSIONER OF RAILWAY SAFETY/COMMISSIONER OF RAILWAY SAFETY ARE SPELT OUT IN THE RAILWAYS ACT, 1989 AND OTHER RELATED RULES AND REGULATIONS FRAMED UNDER IT.

Main function of the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety are as under: –

The Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety directs the activities of the Organization and advises the Central Government in all matters relating to Railway Safety, recruitment of officers, postings and promotions, budget and expenditure etc. The Chief Commissioner deals principally with: –

• Matters appurtenant to Field Inspections and statutory inquiries into accidents;
• Inspection Reports of Commissioners of Railway Safety;
• Reports of statutory inquiries held into railway accidents by the Commissioners. After careful study he forwards his considered opinion to the Ministry of Railways (Railway Board) with such recommendations as he considers necessary; Publication of abstracts of railway accident reports periodically, after they are finally dealt by the Ministry of Railways.
• Railway Boards suggestions pertaining to corrections or amendments to General Rules, Rules for Opening of a Railway, Schedule of Dimensions, the P. Way, Works and Signal Engineering Manuals, Procedure for inquiries into accidents etc.
• Preparation of the Annual Report on the working of the Commission of Railway Safety and its placement in each House of Parliament.

Field duties of the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety consist of inspections of sections of Railways, visits to the Railway Headquarters and Divisional Offices, Railway installations and Circle Offices. If considered necessary by him, he may himself hold inquiries into important accidents.

Duties and Functions of Commissioner of Railway Safety: –

The duties of a Commissioner of Railway Safety as spelt out in Chapter III of the Railways Act 1989 are as under:-

• to inspect new railways with a view to determine whether they are fit to be opened for the public carriage of passengers, and to report thereon to the Central Government as required by or under this Act;
• to make such periodical or other inspections of any railway or of any rolling stock used thereon as the Central Government may direct;
• to make inquiry under this Act into the cause of any accident on a Railway;
• to perform such other duties as are imposed on him by this Act or any other enactment for the time being in force relating to Railways.

The term such other duties mentioned above has been detailed in Sections 22 to 24 of the Act and covers the following:-

• sanctioning the opening of new railway lines after inspection on behalf of the Central Government;
• sanctioning the execution of all works, including new works, affecting the safety of running lines;
• when, after inspecting a line already in use or a rolling stock already authorized, the Commissioner is of the opinion that their continued use will be attended with danger to the traveling public, he may report his opinion to the Central government, who may then order the closure of the line or the discontinuance of the use of rolling stock; and
• to inspect such a closed line and sanction its re- opening for carriage of passengers and also report to the Central Govt. on the fitness for use of discontinued rolling stock.

Besides these core functions of the Commission of Railway Safety, Chief Commissioner and Commissioners also act as head of Department of Headquarter office/Circle offices and run the general administration of the organization. All other employees of the Commission of Railway Safety including Dy. Commissioners of Railway Safety assist CCRS and CRS in performing their assigned duties.