NEW DELHI: Despite claims of the Railway Ministry that it has filled over 3.50 lakh vacancies in the last eight years, more than 2.95 lakh vacancies exist in the non-gazetted and 1,916 in gazetted categories under various railway zones.
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said 2,95,684 vacancies existed for various posts under non-gazetted groups as on June 30.
“In 2021, the vacancies under non-gazetted categories were 2,86,105 and 1,880 under gazetted category which increased gradually,” official figures shared in the Rajya Sabha said.
The highest number of 37,732 vacancies under the non-gazetted category exists in the Northern Railway zone followed by 29,828 in Eastern Zone, 29,397 in Western Zone and 28,869 in the Central zone.
The remaining vacancies exist in other zones.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday said in a written reply in the House that Railways has provided employment to 3,50,204 people between 2014 and 2022.
The minister also said that the process of recruiting around 1.4 lakh more candidates for various posts is being completed.
The minister told the House that the railway as a national transporter has always been creating employment. This year alone, 18,000 persons have been recruited, he said.
As part of PM Modi’s promise to provide 10 lakh jobs, the railways is working to complete the process of recruitment for 1.140 lakh more jobs.
Responding to the supplementaries during the Question Hour, the minister said Indian Railways has been a major contributor in providing employment to people in the country and in this year alone 18,000 jobs have been provided.
“In addition to filling up of regular vacancies, employment is also generated through outsourcing of non-core activities and execution of projects which are not permanent in nature, through contracting agencies,” the minister said.
He said that Indian Railways is a large organisation and occurrence of vacancies is an ongoing process due to retirement, resignation, death etc. and filling up of such vacancies is a continuous process and the same are filled by the placement of indents by Railways with recruitment agencies.
VACANT BERTHS IN RAILWAY RECRUITMENT
As the Railway Minister claims to fill 3.5 lakh railway posts, around three lakh vacancies remain to be filled. Here is a look at the scenario:
Around 2.95 lakh vacancies exist in non-gazetted and 1,916 in gazetted categories in various zones of Indian Railways.
In 2021, vacancies under non-gazetted sections were 2,86,105 & 1,880 under gazetted category.
The highest number of 37,732 vacancies under the non-gazetted category exists in the Northern railway zone followed by 29,828 in the Eastern zone, 29,397 in the Western zone and 28,869 in the Central zone.
Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has claimed to have provided employment to 3,50,204 people between 2014 and 2022.