Letters: Broaden HR audit ambit

With reference to the report, "Rail ministry to appoint consultant for HR audit" (September 13), annual railway budgets stress only cost-cutting measures and lack business drive. The contractual appointment of professionals will induce better ideas and progressive thinking for functioning along more competitive lines. Planning and operations are two complimentary arms of any organisation and the Indian Railways is no exception. Motivation of the workforce by way of providing new avenues for career development is necessary for organisational growth.

Funds should be set aside for human resource (HR) development and its usage periodically monitored. This is the purpose of an HR audit. Audit should not be limited to verification of accounts; it should play a broader advisory role in operations. This will provide room for suggestions on improvement of working conditions and removal of systemic errors to ensure efficient functioning.

Efficiency should extend to both freight and passenger segments. This enables retention of existing customs, ushers in fresh customs and improves revenue inflow. This, in turn, will reduce the gap between operations and audit and correlate the two as mutually supporting arms of functioning. An efficient HR audit policy will ensure that our railway network conforms to global standards.

C Gopinath Nair Bengaluru

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