Lucknow: A day after TOI report of Vaishali Express been detained over a missing chair, the railways said the guard’s brake van had its standard inbuilt seat and termed guard Ramashish Das’s action “wrong”. NER CPRO Sumit Kumar said ECR has been asked to take action against Das.Das, however, stood his ground, arguing the fixed seat near the door is impractical as the work desk and signalling window are elsewhere. Former guards’ representative Sheetla Prasad backed him. A TOI journey with other guards highlighted the difficulty. With steel trunks being replaced by trolley bags, guards say their makeshift seating option too is disappearing.The controversy began after Vaishali Express was detained at Gorakhpur station on Aug 17. According to CPRO Sumit Kumar, the guard brake van was equipped with an inbuilt seat, which was intact. “The guard was asking for a chair which is not a part of standard arrangements in the guard brake van,” he said.Kumar said detaining the train on this account was wrong and ECR had been asked to take up the matter with Das, who belongs to Sonpur division of East Central Railway.But the 59-year-old guard countered the railways’ argument, saying the issue was not whether a seat existed, but whether it could actually be used while performing duties.“There is a flaw in the design. A fixed chair must be provided opposite the desk, otherwise no guard can work,” Das said.On Wednesday, a TOI team travelled with few guards on different trains to understand the nature of the job. The fixed seat inside the brake van was next to the door, while the working desk was positioned beside a window. Guards use the window to observe and respond to signals from station masters while the train is moving.“If there is no chair, it becomes extremely difficult to work during a shift of over eight hours. We have to constantly watch signals through the window,” a guard said.Sheetla Prasad, former zonal general secretary of the All India Guard Council who served the Railways for 42 years (now retired), also came out in support of Das.For years, guards have found an improvised solution. In the absence of a chair near the desk, they often sit on the heavy steel trunk used for carrying their equipment. But that jugaad is now disappearing too, with railways phasing out steel trunks and replacing them with trolley bags.Guards said chairs occasionally available inside the coach are provided by electrical department staff travelling in the same luggage brake and generator car.A senior official who earlier was associated with design and manufacturing of LHB coaches defended the layout, saying it followed the standard design. “The fixed chair is provided next to the door. There is no other chair next to the desk. Guards have to work with the available amenities,” he said.“RDSO will redesign the cabin for guard if their association provide written request,” he added.
