Officers across 13 zones, 60 divisions protest railway services merger, allege decision "unilateral"

Civil Services officers from 13 railway zones and around 60 divisions have submitted written memorandums running into more than 250 pages against the merger of railway services, alleging the decision was "unilateral" and will negatively impact the safety of trains operations.

Big brown envelopes containing representations against the merger of eight services into the Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS) have been delivered to the desks of the railway board chairman, the railway minister, DoPT secretary, cabinet secretary and even the prime minister on Wednesday and Thursday.

The railways in a press release announcing the merger had stated that the reform was undertaken with "overwhelming support and consensus of railway officers, at a two-day conference 'Parivartan Sangoshthi' held on December 7 and 8, 2019."
A senior official told PTI, "The Indian Railway Promotee Officers' Federation has already given a strong support to the merger exercise. The federation consists of 3,700 officers out of 8,400 in the Group A service of the Indian Railway."