General Secretary of the National Federation of Indian Railwaymen, as also for the South Central Railway Employees Sangh, M. Raghavaiah has termed the Centre’s move to amalgamate the Railway Budget with the General Budget, as one that amounted to robbing the Indian Railways of its autonomy.
At a press conference here on Tuesday, he said the move would disrupt the normal functioning of an organisation that operated about 12,000 passenger and 9,000 goods trains and transported a whopping 2.40 crore passengers every single day. He said that on behalf of employees he had communicated the need for keeping the Railway budget separate and hoped Government of India would see reason atleast now.
Mr. Raghavaiah underscored the need for sharper focus on safety aspects and pointed out that of the 2.70 lakh vacancies, 1.60 lakh comprised those in departments that were related to safety, including signalling and telecommunications, civil and mechanical engineering, electrical and operations. Indian Railways had a network of about 65,600 of tracks and maintenance personnel who worked through rain and hail and needed more pay, he said.
Lashing out at the Government for not honouring the promises it made in earlier budgets, he said that a Wagon Factory at Kazipet and a Periodic Overhaul Workshop for electric locomotives were very much the need of the hour. Currently, electric locomotives were being sent either to Bhusawal of Central Railway, Perambur in Southern Railway or Dahod of Western Railway and this was resulting in loss of precious ‘engine hours’, he said.
Mr. Raghavaiah reiterated the employees’ demand against the introduction of the new pension scheme and preferring the old scheme itself. Other demands include doing away with contract labour in the catering system and having departmental catering, filling up vacancies, exemption from hiking income-tax and increased focus on welfare of employees.
