Pre-Rail Budget Meeting of the Railway Federations with Hon’ble MoSR

Indian Military Veterans

Pre-Rail Budget Meeting of the Railway Federations with Hon’ble MoSR

No.AIRF/60

Dated: February 23, 2015

The General Secretaries,
All Affiliated Unions,

Dear Comrades,

Sub: Pre-Rail Budget Meeting of the Railway Federations with Hon’ble MoSR

Today Presidents and General Secretaries/Secretary Generals of all the Recognized Federations of the Railwaymen met Hon’ble MoSR and handed him over following significant suggestions for including the same in the forthcoming Rail Budget 2015-16:-

The government is concerned about the safety and welfare of its workers and officers, serving round-the-clock to transport passengers and freight from one end to other end of the country.

The following burning issues may be considered favourably:-

• Maintenance/repair cost of more than 60% over-aged staff quarters has gone considerably higher. As such, present allotment of budget for maintenance of railway quarters may be increased by 30%. Please take steps to improve the condition of the Drivers/Guards Running Rooms, Barracks, TTEs Rest Rooms, Subordinate Rest Houses also.
• Smart Card Medical Facilities are requested to be extended to all the Railwaymen.
• Vacancies of Safety Category posts may be filled-up in the larger interest of safe-rail operation.
• Scope of the LARSGESS for Safety Categories, which has been found to be very useful, may be extended to all Group `C’ categories.
• The government proposes to introduce “House and Education for all”. For this purpose, vacant railway land at various stations may be utilized, and the Ministry of Urban Development be approached to construct houses for the Railwaymen, and easy home loans may be provided through the Banks and Railway Schemes.
• The government has decided to open Medical and Engineering Colleges, Universities for the children of its workforce. The same may be extended to the Railwaymen as well.
• The government is concerned about the welfare of the Railwaymen and their families and dependants. Parents of the Railwaymen may be granted Railway Pass and Medical facilities.
• Quasi-administrative staff, working in the Federation/Union Offices, who are availing Railway Pass and Medical facilities may kindly be absorbed in the Railways.
• As the then Hon’ble Minister for Railways has already written a letter to the then Hon’ble Finance Minister to implement Old Pension Scheme in place of National Pension Scheme(NPS), and for that it has also been written that financial provisions will be made by the Railways itself. Therefore, it is requested that provisions for the same should be made in this Rail Budget.
• Repealing of RPF Amendment Act, 2001 should be implemented to give powers to the RPF.
• Railway Federations and Associations have been expressing their concern on outsourcing and FDI in the Railways. This has been considered by the government, and the Hon’ble Prime Minister has already announced that there is no intention for privatization of the Indian Railways. Keeping in view prevailing cordial industrial relations, it is requested to re-call the instructions of the government on FDI in the Indian Railways.

Yours faithfully,

(Shiva Gopal Mishara)
General Secretary