East Coast Railway observes 73rd Republic Day

Bhubaneswar, Jan 26: East Coast Railway observed the 73rd Republic Day at Railway Stadium here on Wednesday.  Sudhir Kumar, Additional General Manager unfurled the national flag and exchanged salute in the parade organised by Railway Protection Force (RPF) with Covid protocols.  Speaking on the occasion, Sudhir Kumar said the Covid pandemic has impacted the life of each individual and each organisation in unforeseen ways. While in general, people world over see Covid as a hindrance to progress and pleasure, Railways have taken Covid pandemic as a challenge to serve for the nation and its progress, he said. During the pandemic, Railways asserted its will and capacity to continue evolving to a more healthy, enjoyable, productive and comfortable living.  Railways also re-adjusted and re-focused its ways of working, living, behaving and engaging to beat the biological challenges in our evolutionary progress, added Kumar. Railways ran freight trains intensively to move medicines, food grains, foodstuff, essential commodities and supported industrial activities across India in addition to our core business of moving bulk commodities like ores, coal, steel etc. With the exemplary dedication of railwaymen, team ECoR continues to be the highest freight loading zone amongst all zones on IR. In the current financial year, ECoR is the first zone in Indian Railways to cross the fastest 150 million tonnes freight loading in 244 days by loading 170.78 Million Tonnes between April-21 to December-21 which is an increase of 18.37% over the last year corresponding period. “We expect, our team is fully geared up to achieve the target of 229.90 MT by the closing of the fiscal year,” said Sudhir Kumar.  All Principal Heads of the Departments 0f ECoR, senior officials and staff were present on the occasion. Ashoka Kumar Mishra, Deputy General Manager co-ordinated the programme.