New Delhi, Dec 21: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw conferred 69th Ati Vishisht Rail Seva Puraskar to 101 Railway officials and 22 Shields to best performing zones in different categories at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi today.
The ceremony has been graced by the presence of Chairman & CEO of Railway Board, Satish Kumar, members of the Railway Board, and General Managers of various Railway Zones and Production Units.
Addressing the august gathering after conferring the awards and shields, the Union Minister for Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw congratulated all the awardees for their exceptional work and effort.
He highlighted the transformative progress achieved in Indian Railways over the past decade.
He emphasized the rapid construction pace, completing projects like the Kashmir to Kanyakumari rail link and pending North-East connectivity initiatives. Electrification efforts have surged, with a goal of 100% electrification by 2025, while projects such as Vande Bharat, Namo Bharat, and the freight corridors have gained momentum.
The Kavach safety system has been implemented on a massive scale.
Vaishnaw underlined the remarkable progress in station redevelopment, substantial reduction in consequential accidents (from 345 to 90), and an efficient recruitment process, free of complaints, filling 1.5 lakh positions.
Cleanliness initiatives have drawn praises, including commendation from opposition leaders, and a new Super App is set to revolutionize passenger experience soon.
Indian Railways confers ATI VISHISHT RAIL PURASKAR to its employees every year. These awards are given into two categories, the individual awards, as well as Shields presented to the best-performing Railway Zones.
