NEW DELHI: As extant provision for government servants holding sensitive posts stipulates that they can continue in a post for not more than four years. These posts include the ones that frequently involve close interface with public or contractors or supply wings. However thousands of railway employees continue in the same post for five years.
On the number of such employees in the railways who have been continuing in the same post for five years or more, the minister told the House that the number stood 5,861. “These employees belong to the sensitive categories and are working in the same place and station for the five years,” said Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
The Minister’s statement came a couple of days ago during the just-concluded first round of the Budget session in the Lok Sabha. In a written reply to aquestion, the Minister said the transfer of such employees is being considered and done as per the administrative requirements and exigencies.
He stated in a written reply that extant provisions stipulate that railway employees holding sensitive posts, including those who frequently come into contact with public or contractors or suppliers, are required to be transferred every four years.
For this, a comprehensive list of sensitive posts has also been circulated, he said. “However when transfer of such employees is not possible, then they are be shifted to a different non-sensitive seat in the same place to meet the requirement of periodical transfers”.
A senior railway official said the railways is working on the transfer of these employees as per the extant provisions. Meanwhile, the railways has 3.12 lakh non-gazetted posts lying vacant across the country, reports said citing government data. The maximum posts are vacant in the northern zone (38,754), followed by the western (30,476), eastern (30,141), and central zones (28,650). Non-gazetted posts include jobs for engineers, technicians, clerks, station masters, ticket collectors, among others. Staff shortage has led to employees working overtime and ticket booking windows being rendered non-operational.
Govt preparing list