NEW DELHI: Christmas has come early for nearly 2,100 Railway employees across the country as their long-pending wish for inter-department transfers have been fulfilled. The Railway Board in an unprecedented move allowed mutual transfer of employees hoping it will boost the morale of over 13 lakh Railway workforce.
Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani had issued a direction to all 17 zonal railways to allow the transfer. According to the data available with the Board, around 2,077 employees were transferred till the deadline, October 30 this year.
The highest number of transfers was reported from East Central Railway zone headquartered at Hajipur in Bihar wherein 339 employees moved to other zones. It was followed by 217 from North Central Railway zone headquartered at Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh.
“There was a long list of such requests from employees seeking transfers to other Zonal Railways on various grounds, primarily like health and family among others. These requests were pending for years as inter-department transfer in Central government is a difficult and time-consuming procedure,” said a senior Railway Ministry official.
“We have a huge workforce and these are small measures that will go a long way in encouraging them to perform and give their best to keep the Railways going. Moreover, given that these were mutual transfers, it did not impact the work schedule in any of the Zonal Railways and was completed harmoniously,” the official added.