In the Indian Railways running on the track of modernity, unnecessary posts are being abolished. More than 12,000 posts in Railways have been surrendered in the last five years due to outsourcing and adoption of new technology. That is, Railways will not recruit on the above posts in future. This includes the posts of both officers and employees. It is a different matter that due to the increase in the number of rail passengers every year, the passenger trains and rail track network is increasing.
According to the data, 12,022 non-essential posts have been abolished in all 16 zonal railways between 2015-16 and 2020-21. However, the board had given a target of eliminating 13,050 posts. But some zonal railways have not abolished some posts citing essential posts. Nevertheless, the zonal railways has achieved the result of 92.1 percent of the target of the Railway Board. This process is not over yet, the process of ending the posts in 2021-22 is going on.
Out of total 12,022 posts, 14 posts of officer and 63 of inspector (commercial) have ended. Remaining posts of Technician and Group-D (now Group-C) posts have been abolished. A senior Railway Board official said that the process of abolition of posts is being done on the basis of work study performance of the officers-employees. Apart from this, after the introduction of new technology in the railways, all the posts have become unnecessary.
The number of sanctioned posts in Railways is also decreasing due to outsourcing. For example, electrical-mechanical technicians in generators of Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Mail-Express trains, assistants in coaches, onboard cleaning etc. have been given on contract. Experts do not consider this move of the railways right. They argue that reducing skilled personnel will reduce the capacity of the railways. Due to which productivity will decrease. The contract system will always be a threat to safe train running. Due to this the lives of railway passengers will be at stake.
Playing with railway safety: Union
Railway Union AIRF General Secretary Shiv Gopal Mishra is questioning the work study performance report of the Railways. He says that the said report is being prepared in 48 or 72 hours. This does not measure the working capacity of the employees. The Ministry of Railways is running trains with a little more than 12 lakh working employees against the sanctioned post of 15 lakh. About 4.5 lakh contract employees are being hired in the Railways. This is playing with rail safety.
Parliamentary committee has expressed displeasure
The Parliamentary Standing Committees on Railways have from time to time expressed their displeasure over the vacant posts in the Safety category. Parliamentary committees say that keeping the posts of security class like train drivers, assistant drivers, guards, gangmen, etc., is to compromise the safety of the passengers. Employees have to work for 22 to 24 hours. Whereas train operation is a task of very high level of vigilance. The role of gangmen is important in repairing a large number of rail fractures and broken tracks.
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