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New Delhi: A day after the worst train accident took place in Uttar Pradesh, as the Delhi bound Kalka Mail, killing 67 people and injuring over 200, the Opposition has severely criticised the government and the Prime Minister for neglecting the Railway Ministry. However, the question remains as to who is responsible for the tragic state of the Indian Railways.

Minister of State for Railways Mukul Roy snubbed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and refused to visit the accident site in Kamrup district of Assam where an improvised explosive device was used to trigger the blast that led to the derailment of the Guwahati-Puri Express on Sunday night.

"I am not the Railways Minister, the Prime Minister is," replied Roy in Kolkata when asked if the country deserved a minister who is absent from his job.

He is more keen on travelling with his party boss Mamata Banerjee to maoist dominated Jungalmahal.

Ironically, though there are three ministers of state, none reached the accident spots immediately. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh even had to pull up Trinamool Congress’ Mukul Roy and ask him to reach the site in Assam.

Almost 574 people lost their lives in 250 train accidents during the period when West Begal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was the Railway Minister. With the Trinamool leader spending most of her time in Kolkata in the last one year, the neglect was apparent. Mamata was missing during Cabinet meetings, attending just seven out of 48 meetings, that amounts to a dismal 15 per cent.

It’s not just the political leadership which has been missing, but the administrative instincts of one of the world’s largest transporter have also been failing.

Critical Railway board posts of Member Traffic, Member Staff and Member Electrical are vacant. Member Traffic, responsible for the movement of traffic across the network is lying vacant for the last one year.

Of the total 90,000 vacancy of safety staff, railway needs 20,000 locomotive pilots and 50,000 Trackmen.

There is a shortage of 10,000 personnel of Railway Protection Force.

Railway finances are also shrinking with working expenses going up. Basically Indian Railways is increasingly becoming an inefficient transporter.

And with the ministry being under the supervision of the PMO after Mamata’s resignation, the Opposition has been seeking answers from the Prime Minister.

The Railways seems to be paying the price for being a political ministry with rail safety and infrastructure perhaps falling victim to the appeasement of allies.

There are three minister of states, but all have been missing in action from the railway headquarters in New Delhi. The Railways now seems to be a classic case of an engine without a driver.