BENGALURU: After a gap of six years, the strength of the Bangalore Railway Division is set to get a boost from Friday. A total of 1,013 recruits will join the safety departments of its different branches. For the first time in the country, the Division will welcome them on the lines of major private companies by providing them with a joining kit comprising backpacks, caps and water bottles, thanks to a bank sponsoring the effort.
The division has a staff strength of 11,956 with 2,081 vacancies. The present round of recruitment will fill up half these vacancies.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Divisional Railway Manager (Personnel), Bangalore Division, K Asif Hafeez said, “This will offer us a much needed relief on the work front in light of new lines and doubling work being carried out in the Division and running of new trains. Recruitment is happening after a few years, while annually staff have been retiring from the division.” Out of the 1,013 recruited, 454 are track maintainers, 116 are pointsmen, 200 are helpers in the mechanical division, while the remaining would be helpers in electrical, signalling and telecommunication in other divisions. It also includes 27 women staffers. While trackmen patrol the length and breadth of the track daily to check for its safety, pointsmen keep track of signalling points as well as shunt empty trains to the train sheds.
“We also plan to give them a professional welcome by offering all of them joining kits. It is the first time anywhere in the country that Railways would be welcoming its staff like this. The State Bank of India has come forward to sponsor it for us,” Hafeez said. A five-day orientation programme will also be held for the first time with heads of various departments discussing the challenges in each department,” he added.