The total lack of gazetted cadre management in Railways

There is only one Electrical officer in the integrated list of officers of the Indian Railways

“This has been implemented only where it is beneficial to persons to be favoured or it has been used only to reduce the posts drastically”

As many as 6 top posts of Mechanical Department, Member Rolling Stock (MRS), and 5 Additional Members (AMs) are lying unfilled, one AM post for more than one and a half years. Another Additional Member/Planning post is also vacant since long.

Is it not surprising that the cadre structure approved by Cabinet has been dumped just after three months, before it could be implemented fully.

This has been implemented only where it is beneficial to persons to be favoured or it has been used only to reduce the senior scale posts drastically, without giving a thought to its practicality.

#CRB का विभागवाद @PMOIndia और @PiyushGoyal को क्यों नहीं दिखता!
लॉकडाउन में चोरी-छिपे एकछत्र राज चला रहे @IR_CRB#IRSME के 5 AM पद 8 महीनों से रिक्त हैं लेकिन 2 वर्ष जूनियर #IRSEE की AM पोस्टिंग अविलंब हुई#Secy और #AMPlg के पद नहीं भरे जा रहे क्योंकि #मैकेनिकल अफसरों का नंबर है? pic.twitter.com/1LmUEfrJkn

— RAILWHISPERS (@Railwhispers) May 1, 2020

Though the recruitment process of Group ‘A’ has been stopped by even taking back the vacancies notified for 2019. Without having any clarity for the system and vacancies.

Till now there is no clarity for Group ‘B’ officers. The DPCs of Group ‘B’ are being delayed considerably without any valid reasons and the DPCs which should have been done before 01.04.2016 are still pending.

The statistics as on 01.04.20 tell us that in Higher Administrative Grade (HAG) against 355 posts as many as 750+ officers are getting the pay (348 regular and 398 non-functioning).

Similarly against the sanctioned 1519 posts 1671 regular and more than 150 on non-functioning grade are working.

Whereas in Senior Scale (SS), against a sanctioned cadre of about 2000, only 1373 (987 DRs and 386 Promotees) are on role. As many as 1500 Group ‘B’ are working in SS-ad-hoc.

If the DPCs would have been done in time about 1000 of these ad-hoc would have been regularised in Senior Scale. Even though their so called leaders have no time to talk with the Railway Board or are busy in flattering.

Similarly against the shown number of Junior Scale (JS) – 1677, (the number in fact is 1875) only 1276 officers, including 89 probationers, are on role (1246 DRs + 30 Promotee).

Important is that almost all those Group ‘B’ – 30, are due for JAG/JAO, but are working in Junior Scale.

Further against the total 4837 number – as per qouta – only 2201 promotees are working a shortage of whopping 2636 number in Group ‘A’, i.e. only 22.6% against laid down quota of 50 percent.

This is all account on the reason that there is no Organisation is available to look into the gazetted cadre.

From the initial days, the Secretary, Railway Board post was operated in AM cadre only once though this is to be manned by this grade. Same is the fate of AM Vigilance.

“Even important posts like the Secretary/Railway Board and AM/Planning are not being filled. Old favourites are asked to look after as it suits the design of the top management. Surprisingly, even the DOPT has not taken cognisance of such delays”, said a senior official of the Board.

Surprising is that though there was a sanction of 10 Members posts + 2 DG, Health and Security, before cadre restructuring, still we showed sanction of additional posts in cadre restructuring and reduced large number of senior scale posts, and within few days we aboned it. 

Though 30 posts of AMs are sanctioned, but at no time more than 15-16 posts have been filled.

Similarly there is a laid down system of calculating vacancies right from class IV to class II (Group B) but no such system is adopted for calculating Group ‘A’ vacancies and these are just being filled on the basis of whims of individual since inception but specially after 1990 at-least, and all this when as many as 21% + vacancies exist in Group ‘A’.

There can be more instances to show the total lack of gazetted cadre management but system is sleeping and no one is responsible.

Both cadres are divided and demoralised

“Very bad administration”, says P. V. Subbarao, retired IRSE and former President of IRPOF. “Basically giving extension itself (reference CRB) was bad, as though railway cannot do without him. Will he get further extension? Will he consider such extension to people below?” He said.

“Earlier Group ‘B’ were formalised. Now in spite of huge upgradation, Group ‘A’ also are divided and demoralised. One important thing, as I think when IRPS can manage health services, he can also manage any technical post”. Said Mr Subbarao.

The post of #DGRHS, a specialist cadre post is being looked after by #AMstaff for many months

Isn't it gross neglect of duties by @IR_CRB in days of #CoronaCrisis?

Are posts of #MT, #MTR or #FC ever looked after by #AMs of other cadres?

Are @PiyushGoyal & @PMOIndia even aware? pic.twitter.com/93NvJnnlI7

— RAILWHISPERS (@Railwhispers) May 6, 2020

Gazetted cadre management –

Enclosed herewith a integrated list of officers of the Indian Railways all departments upto 1986 batch i.e. PHODs and above. (Please touch the google drive link).

Enclosed also a list of balance officers of last GM panel. We see here that by the way, 15 officers empanelled as GM are still waiting for their promotions. Apart from 3 vacancies of GM today, as many as 15 posts of AMs are available, thereby the adjustment of all these officers could have been made at least as AM if not GM.

There is only one Electrical officer in the integrated list

There are 5 officers in this list having 2-3 years balance service – 4 Mechanical and one Civil. Unfortunately this contains only one Electrical officer. One another Mech officer top person of list is still having one year service, but the vacancies existing since long and was therefore due long ago.

The rest of the list will also show that the persons being senior are being deprived of their due.

The list is calculated on the basis of old system i.e. on DOITS basis, may not be authentic step by step but overall it will mean only a few inter list changes, more or less being correct. And if the promotions are made irrespective of departmental posts, but on seniority basis effect of this will be quite different, than what is being propagated? Any error is just not intensional.

*Presented by Suresh Tripathi