Expense on manpower unsustainable; surrender posts: Railway board to zones

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With 67 per cent of its expenditure on manpower becoming "unsustainable", the Railway Board has issued instructions to the zones to identify and surrender posts that have become redundant due to technology.

The employees in such posts should be redeployed where there is a need for manpower and, if required, some of the work can be outsourced, the board has said.

In a letter written to the general managers of all the railway zones, V K Tripathi, CEO and Chairman, Railway Board, has said such posts should be identified and the redeployment of staff should be done within a month.

"Human resources are very valuable to Indian Railways. This is especially so during present times when 67 per cent expenditure is towards manpower and is showing an increasing trend, which in the long term seems unsustainable for the organisation.

"It is imperative that the manpower is utilised effectively, efficiently and wherever essentially required. Therefore, there is a need to rationalise manpower utilisation to improve organisational agility," Tripathi has said in the letter to the GMs.

He has also said employees working in categories where manpower is underutilised and non-essential can be "redeployed to more essential categories where vacancies exist and the work may be outsourced, if required".

He has identified some of the categories -- bearer, assistant cook, watcher, typist, sanitary helper, duftry, carpenter, painter, assistant bellow boy, laskar, gardener, assistant catering or salesman, catering or kitchen assistant, assistant catering vendor, valveman etc.

Tripathi has pointed out that employees are still deployed in the zonal railways in categories that have become redundant due to changes in technology, process or policy, like boiler shops and forging shops.

"Employees in such categories may be suitably redeployed in categories where manpower is needed. Manpower deployed in categories that are low skilled and have low promotion prospects, like store khalasi, painter, carpenter etc. can also be considered for redeployment to those areas, where they are more needed and with better prospects," he has said.

The letter also said due to computerisation, introduction of IT applications and monitoring applications, certain functional units like time office, EDP department, statistics department, ticketing, security face have reduced workload and they should be redeployed or gainfully utilised elsewhere, utilising their skills.

"Vacant posts beyond the presently applicable yardsticks may be surrendered immediately and details submitted to the board. Redeployment of staff should be fast-tracked and it should be within one month," the letter said.

Tripathi has also asked the zones to form a committee of three departmental members -- one each from accounts, personnel and any other department -- at the division level to identify the categories for surrender of posts.