11:19 AM
The Ministry of Railways has rolled out a slew of austerity measures, including a ban on creation on new posts and curbs on foreign travel, hospitality and entertainment. Besides a drastic cut on the use of telephones and internet, the cost-control measures call for reviewing operation of trains with less than 50 per cent occupancy and closure of services in uneconomic branch lines. The move to tighten the belt comes ahead of the implementation of the 7{+t}{+h}Central Pay Commission with effect from January 1, 2016.
According to railway sources, S. Mookerjee, Financial Commissioner of Railways and Chairman of the Railway Finance Corporation, has written to all General Managers on a wide range of economy, austerity and cist control measures. There will be a ban on organising meetings in luxury hotels and advertisements would be only for safety awareness and train operations.
The Financial Commissioner has said pending all recruitments to fill vacancies, there would be a ban on the creation of new posts in non-safety/non-operation departments. Only top officials would be entitled to travel by air and that too one-way in economy class. Severe restrictions would be imposed on foreign travel.
While procurement of computers and related consumables would be strictly on need basis, a drastic cut on the use of internet and landline telephones has been mooted. The use of telephones at railway stations for public enquiry purposes would be reviewed in view of the introduction of centralised railway enquiry.
Poor occupancy
As part of the cost control measures, the Ministry has planned to review the operation of trains with less than 50 per cent occupancy. Where there are uneconomic branch lines, meaning train services deviating from the main lines to connect small towns, the railway would consult the respective State Governments and wind up train operations in those sections.
Since online reservation has decreased the number of ticket bookings at computerised reservation counters, the counters will either be pruned or converted as unreserved ticketing system (UTS) counters. Transfer of railway employees would be only in unavoidable cases.
Move comes
ahead of the implementation of the 7th pay commission
According to railway sources, S. Mookerjee, Financial Commissioner of Railways and Chairman of the Railway Finance Corporation, has written to all General Managers on a wide range of economy, austerity and cist control measures. There will be a ban on organising meetings in luxury hotels and advertisements would be only for safety awareness and train operations.
The Financial Commissioner has said pending all recruitments to fill vacancies, there would be a ban on the creation of new posts in non-safety/non-operation departments. Only top officials would be entitled to travel by air and that too one-way in economy class. Severe restrictions would be imposed on foreign travel.
While procurement of computers and related consumables would be strictly on need basis, a drastic cut on the use of internet and landline telephones has been mooted. The use of telephones at railway stations for public enquiry purposes would be reviewed in view of the introduction of centralised railway enquiry.
Poor occupancy
As part of the cost control measures, the Ministry has planned to review the operation of trains with less than 50 per cent occupancy. Where there are uneconomic branch lines, meaning train services deviating from the main lines to connect small towns, the railway would consult the respective State Governments and wind up train operations in those sections.
Since online reservation has decreased the number of ticket bookings at computerised reservation counters, the counters will either be pruned or converted as unreserved ticketing system (UTS) counters. Transfer of railway employees would be only in unavoidable cases.
Move comes
ahead of the implementation of the 7th pay commission
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