Task
Force to give suggestions to improve productivity in Railway
Operations, manufacturing and other departments on Indian Railways
-reg.
NFIR
National Federation of Indian Railwaymen
3, CHELMSFORD ROAD, NEWDELHT- 110055
Affiliated to :
lndian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC)
lntemational Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF)
No. IV/NFIR/HLC/FINANCIAL HEALTH/IR
Dated: 05/01/2015
The Secretary (E),
Railway Board,
New Delhi
kind attention: Shri Vijay Kumar, EDME(INFRA).
Dear Sir.
Sub:
Task Force to give suggestions to improve productivity in
Railway Operations, manufacturing and other departments on Indian
Railways -reg.
Ref: Railway Board’s letter No. 2014/INFRA/TF/IPRO dated 24/12/2014 and 31/12/2014.
We convey our suggestions vide Annexure to this letter to enable the Task Force to give serious consideration.
Yours faithfully,
(Dr. M. Raghavaiah)
General Secretary
DA/As above
Copy forwarded to the Executive Director/IR, Railway Board, New Delhi for information and necessary action.
Copy to the General Secretaries of Affiliated Unions of NFIR.
Media Centre/NFIR
Copy to File No. IV/NFIR/SR/2014/HLRRC.
Copy to File No. IV/NFIR/FDI/IR.
“Annexure”
1. Railway Operations
1.1 Special priority should be given for ensuring “throughput” so as
to avoid detention to trains, thereby path on Railway tracks will be
available for running additional services and at the same time rolling
stock could be utilized to optimum level and equally expenditure on fuel
can be brought down considerably.
1.2 Almost all passenger carrying trains are presently kept at
signals due to non- availability of platforms. Additional platforms
should be constructed or new terminals be opened for prompt reception
and despatch of trains. Presently due to detention at signals, image of
Railways is adversely affected and equally man hours and engine hours
are wasted. These are required to be addressed.
1.3 Unnecessary movement of empty wagons be avoided and at the same
time empties be supplied promptly for meeting the demands. At present on
some Zones, empty wagons are run for hundreds of kilometres for the
purpose of loading. A thorough review is needed.
1.4 The existing wagon capacity should be utilised for loading at
least up to the extant of 80% against present “loaded to total of 65%”.
1.5 The Zonal Railways which have potential to increase the freight loading, should be provided the required assistance.
1.6 A thorough study needs to be done with regard to Zonal Railways
where Operating Ratio is poor and steps taken for improving the
efficiency levels.
2. Stores
2.1 Supply of raw materials/spare parts should be ensured in order to prevent cannibalization.
2.2 Quality material, spare parts should procured for quality
performance of assets instead of resorting to lowest tender system.
2.3 Procurement of machinery and assets may be resorted to only when the same are really required for the system.
3. Civil Engineering Works
3.1 Priority should be given for doubling and laying of third and
fourth lines wherever the Tracks are over saturated. There is no need to
have “Bullet Train” as such a project would cost heavily to the Nation
and the Railways.
3.2 The funds allotted for construction of new lines may be frozen
and study be conducted to assess whether such lines are really required
at this juncture.
4. Human Resources Development
4.1 The employees belonging to safety categories (Running etc.,) are
to be utilized for the duties of the post they are expected to perform,
instead of posting them for performing other miscellaneous duties.
4.2 For maintenance of new services/assets, new posts should be
created without delay and without insisting on matching surrender.
Whenever new services are introduced, the required number of posts
should be created simultaneously for manning these services.
4.3 Staff belonging to Safety and Operational categories should be
imparted periodical training/refresher courses for upgrading their
skills in the areas of working.
4.4 Adequate resting and Running Room facilities should be ensured
for availing adequate rest by the staff so that they could take up
duties without wastage of man hours. Outstation detention be minimised
so that staff can reach back their Head Quarters, avail rest and get
ready for working.
4.5 Disciplined, work oriented and dedicated staff & supervisors
should be motivated in the form of incentive for achieving good results.
4.6 Management-staff relations should be ensured through frequent
interactions/meetings, sharing each others concern/view points with the
aim of building oneness at all levels for achieving extraordinary
results.
4.7 Working of RRBs should be reviewed for ensuring that panels are
made available for promptly filling vacancies in Running and Safety
categories. A mechanism should be evolved for ensuring that these
vacancies are filled up atleast within seven days of their occurrence.
4.8 Pursuant to the inputs given by the NFIR to the Railway Board
regarding scrapping of New Pension Scheme in Railways, a d.o. letter on
29th March 2014 was sent by the former Railway Minister to the Union
Finance Minister seeking exemption of railway employees from the purview
of New Pension Scheme and to cover them under Liberalized Pension
Scheme. This needs to be pursued further for securing approval. The
decision on this would encourage new entrants to work for the system
with greater commitment.
4.9 The existing system of obtaining Railway Board’s approval
relating to certain staff issues needs to be reviewed for delegating
powers to the GMs/DRMs.
5. Medical
5.1 Powers for recognition of Referral Hospitals for referring the
cases for specialised medical treatment may be delegated to the GMs of
Zones/PUs.
5.2 Contracterization of cleanliness activities in trains and station
premises has failed as complaints from rail passengers continue.
Earlier CMEs/CMDs were managing these activities with the support of
departmental staff. Thorough review of the existing policy is required
to be done on priority. Reports also reveal that there are instances of
Contractors giving work to sub-contractors and workers deserting the
work resulting departmental staff thrusted this additional burden. These
are required to be addressed.
5.3 Dual control of Health Inspectors between Medical and Commercial Departments has been a failure.
There is strong justification to create new Department/structure with
the nomenclature Public Health Department from the existing strength
with proper hierarchy at divisional, Zonal and Railway Board’s levels to
oversee and ensure cleanliness and also to fulfil the obligations of
Food Safety Act, since adopted by the Railway Ministry.
6. Catering in Railways
Travelling public have been bitterly complaining against the Railways on supply of sub-standard food items by the contractors.
The Departmental Catering should be strengthened and the catering
staff (formerly in Railways) presently working under IRCTC should be
posted back to the Railways.
7. Bed rolls supply and AC staff escorting trains At first place, the
activities of bed rolls supply and AC Staff escorting trains should not
have been entrusted to private vendors and the jobs should have been
retained with the department as outsourcing these activities is leading
to lack of security of travelling public and is giving scope to
anti-social elements, unauthorised hawkers to entrain the coaches and
helpless Ticket Checking Staff have not been able to control mainly due
to unbearable workload being handled by them.
8. Miscellaneous
8.1 The existing defective policies in respect of ticket fare needs
to be reviewed. For example a platform ticket costs Rs. 5/- whereas
minimum fare for a journey of 20 km has been fixed at Rs. 2/-.
8.2 The Railway projects where the expected rate of return is less than 23% may be shelved in the interest of Railways.
