Former MP and ex-chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Indian Railways, Basudeb Acharia, cautioned the employees over increasing privatisation in the 150-plus year-old Indian Railways.
Due to increasing privatisation, the organisation is slowly slipping into the hands of private persons and the valuable assets of Indian Railways were disappearing, he alleged.
Mr. Acharia, who was here to participate in the golden jubilee celebrations of All India Loco Running Staff Association in Vijayawada, expressed concern over the alleged anti-employee and anti-people policies being implemented by the Central government.
“As part of the privatisation move, government was cutting the benefits being extended to senior citizens and students. Many welfare measures are being withdrawn in a phased manner,” he said.
“The privatisation of Indian Railways is not only affecting the passengers and the unemployed, but also the employees. Valuable properties are being leased to private persons causing great loss to the organisation,” said L. Mony, an employee from Southern Railways.
East Coast Railways employee M.N. Prasad said the employees were suffering a lot due to anti-labour policies of the government, and appealed to the government to stop privatisation of Indian Railways.
K.C. James of Southern Railways said that about three lakh posts were lying vacant and the managements was not taking steps to fill them as the government was privatising the Indian Railways in a phased manner.
“Many posts are vacant in various branches in Indian Railways, and the burden is increasing on the employees as there seems to be a ban on recruitment,” Mr. James said.
