Letter to Prime Minister

To, 

The Hon’ble Prime Minister, 

Government of India, 

New Delhi. 

Sir, 

Reg: - The loco running staff of Indian Railways is subjected to Great injustice by delaying, abnormally, the decision on the revised rates of running allowances and also in the matter of issuing the revised orders conferring the parity in pension to the Pre 01.01.2016 retired running staff pensioners/family pensioners. Request your personal intervention to settle issues, amicably. 

With great respect to your honour, I, the Secretary General of All India Loco Running Staff Association, an organization of Loco pilots and assistant loco pilots of Indian Railways requests your honour to hear the pain and sorrow of the loco running staff of Indian Railways for redressal of some of their urgent and genuine grievances which are the burning causes for their discontentment and severe resentment.. Your honour, I submit that the loco running staff who are the life nerve of the economy of the country and maintaining the productivity, punctuality and safety of the Railways, and playing an important role in contributing to the economic growth, national security, social obligation facing all odds of the nature and different challenges like terrorism and Naxalism, are now made victims of apathy and great in justice by the Railway administration. 

Sir, you might have been personally experienced about the nature of job of loco running staff and their important contribution in nation development but sorry to state that they are the most deprived, neglected ones and the victims of the injustice and discrimination in the hands of railway administration. Specially, the Loco running staff is very much disturbed now as never before in the past, both on the hours of duty, periods of rest, pay and allowances as well as parity in pension, which forced us to knock your door. 

Sir, I may please be excused, if I bring the fact, in to your knowledge, that all the Central Government Employees and the Railway men are enjoying the new rate of TA and Pay as per the recommendations of 7th CPC for the last more than one and half years except, the running staff because of not finalizing the KM allowance rates by railway administration which, ought to have been revised long back as per the time tested and well settled RAC 1980 Formula which consists of both the components of pay and TA. The Railway Board abnormally delaying it for no valid reason which has caused severe unrest amongst the Running staff. The delay in decision taking on the subject is causing suspicion of a conspiracy to reduce the rate of KM Allowance than appropriate rates which is unacceptable to workers. In-addition to that, Your honour, I humbly submit that, the pre-2016 retired running staff pensioners/family pensioners are not getting parity in pension though the Government of India has taken a policy decision and notified it conferring parity in pension between pre and post 01.01.2016 pensioners/family pensioners. The Railway administration is dishonouring this policy decision discriminating against the running staff pensioners only while, implementing the same in the case of similarly situated railway medical practitioner pensioners as also for all other railway pensioners. We have been drawing the attention of Railway Administration, Chairman Railway Board, Minister of Railways continuously on our grievances such as fixation of KM allowance based on RAC 1980 recommendation in light of 7th CPC recommendation on Pay and T.A, duty hours, rest etc; review of pension of pre-2016 retired running staff either, by personally meeting with MR, CRB in a delegation or through Dharna, demonstration, Hunger fast or through representations in zonal, divisional and depot level at different places whenever our Hon’ble CRB or Hon’ble MR visited those places during this period. I had also brought in your kind notice twice and once your honour was kind enough to forward our representation to the Railway Ministry but, no positive result, sofar. Some of our issues have also been referred twice to RLC (C) for conciliation and that conciliation was also declared as failure due to noncooperation of Railway Officers. Then those issues were referred to NIT in 2012 for adjudication and that too is still pending although it was to be adjudicated within 90 days. This delay in resolving the grievances has caused a serious resentment amongst the loco running staff which compels the association to think of going for the last trade union option of direct action, although we heartily do not wish such an option. I. therefore request your honour with folded hands to intervene into the matter so that grievances are resolved favorably and running staff of Indian Railway may get justice and the healthy Industrial relations are maintained in the interest of nation. 

Sir, the Association will be highly obliged, if your honour l gives us an opportunity to meet in a delegation at-least for 10 minutes at your convenience preferably in the month of Feb, 2019, by 15th to hear our grievances in person, so that we can explain our grievances in detail for redressal. Our CWC meeting is scheduled to be held on 17th Feb 2019 for a decision, accordingly and also will organize a Protest rally on 18th Feb 2019 at Jantar–Mantar/New Delhi 

Hoping for a positive and favourable action, please to resolve the grievances to the satisfaction of running staff 

Thanking you Sir, 

                                                                                                         Yours’ sincerely 

                                                                                                              (M. N. Prasad) 

                                                                                              Secretary General AILRSA 

Copy to, 

1. The Hon’ble Minister for Finance 

2. .The Hon’ble Minister for Railways.