Railways to implement plan to trim staff positions, says move won’t shrink number of jobs

Despite pressure from railway employees and unions, the Railway Board has issued instructions to the general managers of zones across the country to surrender 50 per cent of the existing vacancies in the railways.

In a letter dated 24 November, the Railway Board has asked the general managers to put a freeze on all new posts, except safety, review all posts created in the last two years and consider surrendering the ones that have not been filled so far, and surrender 50 per cent of all existing vacancies other than in the safety category.

The move comes after the Ministry of Railways first communicated in June this year that the national transporter, which is the biggest employer in the country, needs to adopt a series of austerity measures to tide over the losses incurred in the aftermath of the pandemic.

“Rationalisation of vacancies and expenditure management is an important exercise which every organisation does including those in the Government of India. This internal note should be seen in that context only,” ministry spokesperson D.J. Narain told ThePrint in response to queries regarding the note.

He also sought to add that the communication should not be seen as a move to reduce government jobs.