Mamata gets Cabinet nod to recruit semi-skilled workers

Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee today strongly pushed for retention of the pre-6th Pay Commission eligibility criteria for recruitment of semi-skilled and unskilled workers, forcing the Cabinet to give an in-principle nod.

Banerjee made a strong case for quid pro quo of eligibility for recruitment in Group ‘D’ (now Group C) during the meeting, resisting implementation of the Pay Commission recommendations.

The minimum educational qualification for Group D class workers prior to the Pay Commission was class VIII. However, the Pay Commission laid the minimum qualification as Class X.

As a result of Banerjee’s forceful argument, the Cabinet gave a go-ahead for recruitment of about 47,000 personnel in Group D category, in principle, on the minimum qualification of class VIII, said a source in railways ministry.

However, no announcement was made in this regard in view of the Assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh.

The recruitment process was on hold because of the Pay Commission recommendations for merger of Group D with Group C and increasing the minimum educational qualification from class VIII to Class X.