Above referred to issue has been repeatedly deliberated in detail by the AIRF at different levels as also with Hon’ble Minister for Railways. This subject matter is also figuring as regular agenda item of AIRF’s PNM Meeting with the Railway Board.…..

No.AIRF/174(143)                                                                            Dated: June 8, 2019

The Member(Stores),

Railway Board,

New Delhi   

Dear Sir,

Sub: Indiscriminate outsourcing of printing of books and forms used in the Railways – Closure of Railway Printing Presses

 Ref.: (i) My earlier D.O. letters No.AIRF/174(142 and 143) addressed to Director General(Rolling Stock), Railway Board

        (ii) AIRF’s PNM Item No.35/2018

       (iii) Railway Board’s letter No.2018/RS/Ptg. & Sty./AP/PP/IR dated 04.06.2019

Above referred to issue has been repeatedly deliberated in detail by the AIRF at different levels as also with Hon’ble Minister for Railways. This subject matter is also figuring as regular agenda item of AIRF’s PNM Meeting with the Railway Board.

 

Reference is also invited towards Railway Board’s letter No.2018/RS/Ptg. & Stny./AP/PP/IR dated 07.02.2018 on the subject mentioned above, para 2.0 of which reads as under:-

 

“Closure of following six General Priting Presses(after merging with other Printing Presses) (Timeline: 06 months)

 

S/N Location of the Presses to be closed down Load to be catered by(in addition to Railways to which they are feeding presently
1. Fairly Place/Kolkata, ER Howrah/ER
2. Gorakhpur/NER Shakurbasti/NR
3. Kurseong/NFR Howrah/ER
4. Ajmer/NWR Shakurbasti/NR
5. Kharagpur/SER Howrah/ER
6. Mahalakshmi/WR Byculla/CR

 On repeated discussions, held with the Railway Board Officials and Hon’ble Minister for Railways, it was assured to AIRF that, at least 05 Railway Printing Presses, viz.                            Byculla(CR), Howrah(ER), Shakurbasti(NR), Royapuram(Chennai) and Secunderabad(SCR), would continue to work and would be modernized , and the existing load of the Railway Printing Presses, proposed to be closed, would also be transferred to these Railway Printing Presses as mentioned therein.

It is, however, highly astonishing that, Railway Board, vide letter referred to above, have issued arbitrary orders to close down all the Railway Printing Presses, without any further discussions with this federation, which is against the norms of mutual trust and breach of the assurances repeatedly given to AIRF.

These arbitrary instructions of the Railway Board, in regard to closure of Railway Printing Presses, have created deep sense of discontentment and resentment among the staff already working in these Printing Presses all over the Indian Railways.

It would, therefore, be quite appropriate that, these orders of the Railway Board should be withdrawn forthwith, and a meeting be convened with AIRF on this issue at an early date.

Copy to: Member(Staff), Railway Board – for necessary action please.

Copy to: D.G.(Pers.), Railway Board – for necessary action please.

Copy to: Addl. Member(Staff), Railway Board – for necessary action please.

Copy to: E.D.(IR), Railway Board – for necessary action please.

Copy to: General Secretaries, all affiliated zonal unions – for information.