PTI

New Delhi, Aug 23: Railways is finding meaningful ways to engage ragpickers across the country. They are being pressed into service to clean the tracks at stations and become daily wagers.

All divisional railway managers (DRM) have been told to hire ragpickers through contractors to clean the railway lines as part of cleanliness drive, Ramesh Chandra, Chairman Railway Board, told PTI.

"While we have initiated steps to ensure cleanliness at railway stations, waiting halls and passenger trains, the cleanliness drive has been extended on the tracks also," he said.

Railway tracks littered with dirt is a common sight. However, with the outsourcing of the cleaning job to private contractors, tracks are expected to be litter-free.

Northern Railway DRM Rakesh Saxena said "we have hired contractors to do the cleaning job. It is the contractors who have employed ragpickers to pick up litters including papers, plastic bottles, rags, papers, tetra packs and other materials lying on the tracks within 50 metres of both ends of the platforms. Ragpicking has to be carried out throughout the day."