Sub: Certain burning issues of the Railwaymen warranted urgent attention

I take this privilege to bring to your kind notice certain burning issues of the Railwaymen which are pending redressal for quite some time:-

1. Implementation of structure in the ratio of 10:20:20:50 in case of Trackmen/Track Maintainers – While the Joint Committee on Package & Career Progression of Trackmen in its unanimous recommendations had duly recommended implementation of structure of the Trackmen/Track Maintainers in the ratio of 10:20:20:50 to facilitate career progression of this ever neglected category which is directly involved in safe running of trains by maintaining railway track. Railway Board did not implement this recommendation in toto…..

D.O.No.AIRF/24(C) Dated: July 30, 2018

Resp. Shri Piyush Goyal Ji,

Sub: Certain burning issues of the Railwaymen warranted urgent attention

I take this privilege to bring to your kind notice certain burning issues of the Railwaymen which are pending redressal for quite some time:-

1. Implementation of structure in the ratio of 10:20:20:50 in case of Trackmen/Track Maintainers – While the Joint Committee on Package & Career Progression of Trackmen in its unanimous recommendations had duly recommended implementation of structure of the Trackmen/Track Maintainers in the ratio of 10:20:20:50 to facilitate career progression of this ever neglected category which is directly involved in safe running of trains by maintaining railway track. Railway Board did not implement this recommendation in toto, but have decided to gradually improve upon the ratio in the highest grade as recommended by the aforementioned committee. Although, it has since been decided to implement the final ratio of 10:20:20:50 in the cadre of Trackmen/Track Maintainers, but it is quite unfortunate that, despite several assurances, final orders to this effect are yet to be issued, which is a cause of serious concern and needs immediate intervention of your goodself.

2. LARSGESS – Your goodself might be aware that, Voluntary Retirement Scheme for Trackmen and Loco Pilots was introduced after detailed deliberations by the then Hon’ble Minister for Railways, Shri Nitish Kumar, with all the categories of field staff responsible for ensuring safety in Railways. Basic idea behind introduction of the scheme was that, with the growing age, reflexes of the human being get weakened, therefore, the optees, from the categories of Loco Pilot and Trackmen, who were allowed to seek Voluntary Retirement with simultaneous appointment of their eligible wards with fulfillment of certain conditions laid down in the said scheme. This scheme was further liberalized. By virtue of this, all the staff of the Safety Categories, working in GP Rs.1800 (Safety Categories Only) in PB-I, were extended this opportunity, and later on, those working in GP Rs.1900 (Safety Categories Only), were also added in the list of such category in PB-I. Unfortunately, owing to some litigation in Chandigarh High Court, this scheme is at a stake, on account of which, the staff belonging to the entitled categories, to opt for LARSGESS, are highly disgusted and perturbed. Hon’ble Court has also directed for revisiting this scheme not for cancellation.

We seek your intervention in the matter, so that, the scheme could be contained further, which has proved to be beneficial for Railway Safety as also for the staff of the entitled categories.

3. Absorption of the Course Completed Act Apprentices in the Railways – The present NDA Government is regularly pursuing the policy of Skill Development so as to train more and more manpower to acquire proper skill, which would be beneficial during their life career. The Indian Railways, of late, have been imparting training, under Apprentices Act, 1961, in different workshops and depots, and with the introduction of the aforementioned policy of Skill Development, Indian Railways have also increased the number of the slots for trainees.

It may be appreciated that, Skill Development Scheme, introduced by the present NDA Government, also provides for employment to the trained manpower in the same industry/ installation where they are imparted Skill Development Training. There has been a practice of absorbing the candidates, imparted training in different Railway Establishment, under Apprentices Act, 1961, by conducting aforementioned screening of the documents, as the candidates, trained under the scheme, are already subjected to a final examination, conducted by the NCVT, on passing thereof their training, considered to be successfully completed. Ministry of Railways have unfortunately issued instructions that, Course Completed Act Apprentices, imparted training in different Railway Establishments would have to appear in an examination, like other open market candidates, against 20% quota earmarked for their absorption(Ref.: Railway Board’s letter No.E(NG)II/2016/RR-1/8 dated 21.06.2016 – RBE No.71/2016). This is a gross injustice with such Course Completed Act Apprentices.

We, therefore, regularly demanding that, Course Completed Act Apprentices, who have been imparted training in different Railway Establishments, should be absorbed in the Railways by similar process as was being done before issuance of Railway Board’s orders mentioned above. ,

4. Revision in the rates of Running Allowance etc. for the Running Staff – The rates of Running Allowance are always revised after implementation of recommendations of the Central Pay Commissions. We have repeatedly discussed the issue at the apex level, including the CRB also, but despite repeated assurances, no revision in the rates of Running Allowance has so far been done.

It would be pertinent to mention here that, the rates of Daily Allowance(TA) have since been revised and are being paid at the revised rates to the entitled staff, therefore, there is serious discontentment brewing among the Running Staff due to inordinate delay in revision of rates of Running Allowance.

I, therefore, seek your personal intervention in the matter, so that, orders for revision of Running Allowance, in case of Running Staff of the Railways, are issued without further delay and implemented from retrospective date with payment of arrears.

5. Restructuring of the IT Cadre – Information Technology has gained paramount importance in all walks of the life. While IT Cadre was formed in the Indian Railways more than a decade ago, but there is still some confusion in regard to disfunction and human resource management. Railway Board had issued instructions for Cadre Restructuring of IT Cadre (Ref.: No.2016/AC-II(CC)/37/9 dated 18.04.2017(RBA No.45/2017), 2017/AC-II(CC)/37/7 dated 29/06/3017 and 2017/AC-ll/37/9 dated 29/12/17), but unfortunately, an impracticable condition was imposed to surrender all the vacant posts in the cadre whereas, in Cadre Restructuring of other categories, only number of posts of Matching Money Value were surrendered and not the entire vacant posts. We have been regularly pursuing this issue, and the present Financial Commissioner, Railway Board, also assured to take necessary action in the matter, but final outcome is still awaited.

We would request that, this issue should also be looked into on priority and revised orders issued early.

6. Restoration of scheme of Under-19 cricket in Railways – There has been regular practice in vogue in the Railways to allow young chap cricket players below the age of 19-year to play cricket in Railway Stadium. This has been helping a lot in attracting and identifying the talented cricket players who were later appointed in the Railways under Sports Quota, who used to bring laurels for the Railways. All of a sudden, instructions have been issued to discontinue this practice by the RSPB, which is highly unfair and uncalled for.

We seek your urgent intervention in the matter to restore the above practice in the larger interest of promoting Sportspersons in this largest ministry, i.e. Ministry of Railways.

I sincerely hope that, the above issues would definitely receive urgent attention of your goodself and necessary orders on the same issued without further loss of time.

With Kind Regards!

Shri Piyush Goyal,
Hon’ble Minister for Railways,
Ministry of Railways,
Rail Bhawan,
New Delhi

Copy to: Chairman, Railway Board, New Delhi – for necessary action please.
Copy to: Member Staff, Railway Board, New Delhi – for necessary action please.
Copy to: Director General(Pers.), Railway Board, New Delhi – for necessary action please.
Copy to: General Secretaries, all affiliated unions – for information.