MUMBAI
Railways could be aiming for a complete functional overhaul! At least that's what the mandate for the recently-appointed Bibek Debroy Committee shows.
However, going by ground reality, it's easier said than done!
One can see how tough it would be to change the ways of the ailing transport giant if one were to look at the way the Mumbai division of Western Railway functions. Employees as well as unions here have decided to vigorously oppose a recent diktat by the railway board to give extra duties to those out-stations train reservation clerks, who don't have much work these days as a rising number of ticket are now being bought through the IRCTC website. These clerks man the passenger reservation system (PRS) centres from where tickets for long-distance trains are booked.
The railway board circular states that these enquiry-cum-reservation clerks (ECRC) be employed in making announcements on coach positions as well as answer public inquiries. This is because, statistics show that about 53% of all long-distance tickets are now booked online. Railways believe that with the launch of Yatri Ticket Suvidha Kendras—private sector-run passenger reservation centres—the workload on PRS will go down further.
"It's natural for railways to be making changes to the work profile of employees as per workload," said a top WR official.
However, unions will have non of it! Western Railway Mazdoor Sangh has already got into the act, even submitting a memorandum to the railway administration with the signatures of all ECRCs in Mumbai, opposing the change.
WRMS divisional secretary Ajay Singh told dna that apart from wearing black arm-bands against the order, employees would also scale up other forms of protest. "We will not accept this under any circumstances. We will hold sit-down protests. It's just a means to bring in large-scale privatisation of PRCs at the cost of employees," said Singh.
Railways' dilemma
With a vast, well-entrenched bureaucracy, railways has been plagued by indecisiveness and infighting for years now. "Railways might be the largest organisation under one management in terms of employees, but the ground reality is different. The five most important streams of the railways—traffic, civil, mechanical, electrical, finance—behave almost independently. These departments, all under respective members (rank equivalent to secretary to government of India) generally work at cross-purposes, slowing down railways' progress," said a retired railway official.
Bibek Debroy panel, its mandate
The 7-member committee, with a one-year term, will be chaired by renowned economist Dr Bibek Debroy and will have among its members former cabinet secretary KM Chandrashekar. Other members are: Gurcharan Das (former chairman and MD, Procter and Gamble), professor Partha Mukhopadhyay (senior fellow, Centre for Policy Research), Ravi Narain (former MD, National Stock Exchange), Rajendra Kashyap (former financial commissioner of railways), and one yet-to-be named nominee of the department of economic affairs. Sanjay Chadha, currently serving as executive director, mechanical engineering division, railway board, will be the secretary to the committee.
It's the onus of the committee to "reorganise and restructure the railway board and subsequently the department, so that policy making and operations are separated. Policy making now focuses on long-term and medium-term planning and operations focus on day-to-day functioning of the organisation.
No. of booking staff on Mumbai WR
Post Sanctioned strength Current working
Chief Reservation Supervisor 57 51.
Reservation Supervisor 253 240.
Clerks 162 149.
Bigg Boss 18: Viral Bhabhi Hema Sharma becomes first evicted contestant of Salman Khan-hosted show
New ITR e-filing portal 3.0 to be launched soon: Check features and other important details
Indian Railway Rules: You won't be able to carry these items during train journey due to...
New Zealand's Suzie Bates surpasses Mithali Raj for massive feat in women’s international cricket
Diwali 2024: Is Deepawali on October 31 or November 1? Know date, rituals, significance and more
Baba Siddique's son Zeeshan dares killers, says, 'they silenced my father, but they forget...'
Flipkart Big Diwali Sale: Massive discount on Moto G85, iPhone 15 Plus and more
CNG prices likely to surge by Rs 4-6, here's everything you need to know
This is world's most expensive condom that is 200 years old, it is made of...
PM Narendra Modi to virtually inaugurate Bagdogra airport terminal worth Rs 1550 crore
Meta AI on WhatsApp to soon serve as your personal assistant, know how it will work
Shocking: People in THIS country love eating crocodile meat, price of reptile's meat per kg is Rs...
Russia shoots down over 100 Ukrainian drones as missile strike on Ukraine injures 17
Delhi pollution hits ‘severe’ levels, AAP govt lists THIS reason as major factor
Elon Musk promises to award $1 million each day to anyone who signs his...
Loud blast in Delhi: Explosion reported outside CRPF school in Rohini, probe underway
‘No clean shave, no love’: Indore women's dating demands sparks discussion, watch viral video
Isha Ambani turns heads in stunning black and white outfit at Mumbai event, it costs...
Big move by Mukesh Ambani as Reliance Industries to revive Campa Cola, plans to disrupt...
'Mom, thank you...': Isha Ambani credits Nita Ambani for her success in touching speech
8th Pay Commission: Minimum salary to be doubled? Big announcement expected on...
Kichcha Sudeep’s mother Saroja Sanjeev passes away at 86 due to…
'The answer lies in the...': Gautam Adani gets candid on why he didn't complete his education
Cultural Shock? Desi singing loudly inside bus in Germany divides opinion, watch viral video
Meet man who worked as waiter, earned Rs 3,000 per month, cracked UPSC exam with AIR...
Noida Master Plan-2041: NCR to get new city, UP government approves 'New Noida', to be readied in…
Understanding Fault Lines: Deep dive into India-Canada diplomatic standoff
Aditya Birla Group's big movement, set to invest Rs 75 crore in THIS Virat Kohli backed brand
Air Pollution: Delhi-NCR air quality turns 'severe', AQI reaches...
70 Bomb Threats In 6 Days: What is the reason behind this surge in hoax warnings?
'I'm sorry...': Throwback to when Ratan Tata fact-checked journalist for a quote attributed to him
Salman Khan gets emotional at Bigg Boss 18 amid death threats: ‘What all I am going through…’
'Grave mistake': Netanyahu warns Iran, Hezbollah after 'assassination' attempt
Mukesh Ambani's next BIG step, Jio Cinema likely to shut down due to...
Meet man, who used to be mechanic, cleared UPSC exam on first attempt, secured AIR 32 to become....
RRB NTPC 2024: Registration window ends today, check easy steps to apply at rrbapply.gov.in
Watch: Little girl lifts huge snake in viral video, parents face backlash for dangerous stunt
Happy Karwa Chauth 2024: WhatsApp wishes, messages and quotes for your loved ones
Zerodha's Nikhil Kamath, known for favouring renting, buys his 1st house; here's why
Meet Ratan Tata’s favourite chef, who began his career in a garage, now he is...
Rajinikanth to compensate producer's loss for Vettaiyan failure? Here's what we know
Meet woman behind the voice of Apple's iPhone 'Siri', never paid for it due to...
Who is IPS Anurag Gupta, acting Jharkhand DGP removed by EC ahead of Assembly polls?
Meet Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar, the newly appointed chairperson of NCW
Watch: Rishabh Pant's monstrous 107m six against Tim Southee leaves New Zealand players stunned