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VRS for select railway staff announced

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI JULY 13. The Railways today announced a voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) for safety-related frontline staff such as train drivers, gangmen and pointsmen above 50 years of age.

Making the announcement at the conclusion of a two-day workshop on railway safety, the Railway Minister, Nitish Kumar, said if such staff accept VRS, one member from their family would be employed on compassionate grounds. The Minister also announced that the entire Railway Board would start visiting workshops and running rooms in the field to see service conditions of the frontline staff charged with safety and take spot decisions to improve their working conditions. This exercise would start from Mumbai from next week, he added.

Another decision was to set up a small committee which would work out plans for providing more rest and recreation at railway stations for drivers. Besides, line blocks at stations would be kept free for maintenance of signalling equipment and other safety-related works. If necessary, the time-table would be amended to reschedule some trains, he said.

Mr. Kumar said that apart from the decision taken some time ago to fill up 20,000 vacancies of gangmen, more posts could be sanctioned, if found necessary. Gangmen would also get gum boots and rain coats to facilitate their working during the rainy season.

Besides, a 10-year corporate safety plan covering the period 2003-2013 had been drafted and would be finalised after discussions with union representatives at a meeting here on Monday. The final plan would be presented to Parliament during the monsoon session.

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