Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Feb 14: Of late, women have been working alongside men with equal efficiency and acumen in almost all the fields. They have shown to the world that they are equally effective even in military service. There was a time when people used to go gaga about women driving cars, jeeps and then buses. Women have since become pilots of aircraft. Now, a woman from coastal Karnataka has been serving Indian Railways in the form of loco pilot and shown to the women from the twin districts about a domain that can be conquered by them.

Vanitashree, who hails from Vittal in Bantwal taluk, Dakshina Kannada district, has been identified as the only woman loco pilot from coastal Karnataka. Currently she works as a shunting pilot at Mangaluru Junction railway station.

Those entrusted with shunting duties attend to tasks like piloting the trains or engines within the limits of specific railway stations, shifting of engines or compartments, leading the trains for which the station is the last destination or those which have still time to start their onward journeys on other tracks etc. The shunting staff do not drive the trains from one railway station to the other.

Even though Vanitashree is a certified loco pilot, she has requested the department not to entrust her the work of piloting trains to long distance destinations as she has to look after her two small children. Therefore, she has been given duty at the local railway station.

Vanitashree,who completed automobile diploma through Karnataka Polytechnic in the city, had come to know about employment opportunities in the railway department. She appeared for the examination, and began her professional life as an assistant loco pilot at Chennai in the year 2006.

Vanita's husband, Satish, is employed in police department. The couple has two sons, one of whom studies in fifth standard and the other is in the first standard. Her father, Narayana Naik from Vittal is a retired compounder of animal husbandry department. Mother, Jayashree, was employed in provident fund office in the city till recently. She was recently transferred to Bengaluru office.