Visakhapatnam: To mark the International Women’s Day (IWD), an all women crew special train was flagged off from Visakhapatnam to Rayagada by Parijata Satpathy, President of East Coast Railway Women’s Welfare Organization, Waltair Division.
Vice Presidents of ECoRWWO Kavita Gupta, Secretary Priyanka Sridevi and other executive members of ECoRWWO also took part in the flagging off ceremony.
Waltair Division always front runner in shouldering women empowerment by engaging women in Track Maintenance, Train Operations that the team managed at Route Relay Interlocking, Train Managers, Loco Pilots, Ticket Checking and in Office duties.
Waltair Division formed exclusive women teams at Loco Sheds who are engaged in maintenance of crucial parts of Locos and also operates an exclusive women security team Meri Saheli which takes care of women passengers in trains or at Station.
Speaking on the occasion on Tuesday, Parijata Satpathy said that it is the time, Women’s Day, to reflect the progress made, to label for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their community and society.
She said that she was happy to share that the entire train 08504 Visakhapatnam-Rayagada special is manned on the day by women employees and the entire staff at Visakhapatnam railway station in Operations, Commercial, RPF were also women staff today.
Three women who drove the goods train were loco pilot Smt Sahana Kumari, Assistant Loco Pilot Ms K.Nagamani and Train Manager Smt M.Kalyanni. The Four Ticket Checking staff were Smt S. Ambili, Smt G.Atchutamba,Smt K.Santoshi Rao and Smt D Radha.
Divisional Railway Manager Shri Anup Satpathy congratulated all the Women Team of Waltair Division on this achievement and more such landmark events anticipated from the Nari Shakthi.