Re-employed Ex-servicemen in Indian Railway are facing problems, regarding their type of jobs & designation awarded to them..

To                                                                                                                 

The

Honourable President of India

Rashtrapati Bhavan

New Delhi—110004.

Sub: Prayer For Change of Group, from Group-D To Group-C of Re-employed Ex-

             Servicemen in the Indian Railway.

Sir

With due respect, humbly we would like to relate following few lines for your kind contemplation and need conducive action please. We had applied for the post of Group – D on the basis of Employment Notification. After completion of long official procedure and formalities, we received provisional appointment Letter.

Subsequently, we have become fortunate enough to serve the India’s largest public sector i.e. Indian Railway. We have joined in Group—D, Pay Band-1, in Scale—Rs.5200—20200/- with Grade Pay—Rs.1800/- in various trades like Helper, Porter, Trackman, Gatekeeper, Safaiwala etc.

After few days of our service, we observed that the job of a Group-D staff in Indian Railway is laborious rather dissimilar to our former job, which we had been habituated in the Defence service. In our Defence service we were on active service for several years. Now at the age of 40 to 50 years on an average, it is quite tormenting to do service as a Group-D staff. If we take examples:

1)      Job of a Trackman and his allotted work, in which Packing of Sleepers, Stone Seizing, Grass & Jungle Cutting, Changing of Rail Path & Sleepers are included. Not only that, he has to perform jobs like removing of Carcasses and all sorts of dirty items from the railway tracks. We fear that under the open sky and direct sunshine, we may not be able to discharge or do justice to our duties at this age, after long rigorous service.

2)      Job of a Safaiwala and his allotted work, in which Cleaning of trains, Cleaning of Drainage surrounding the Railway Quarters, Sweeping of roads surrounding the Workshop, family accommodation area and School. Cleaning of Garbage of Officers’ Club, washing of starecases of Quarters.The most unhygienic and unimaginable tasks we have to perform like providing bed-pan to the patients, removing of Carcasses, decomposed dead bodies and all sorts of dirty items from the area where we are posted. It is very unfortunate that none of us even opted the choice of post code no. of Safaiwala

Various letters have been circulated by Railway Board for Liberalized Active Retirement Scheme for Guaranteed Employment of their offspring, specially for the staffs under safety categories, who have attained approximate 50 years of age & onwards. But it is not very much clear why Ex-servicemen are re-employed in such safety categories who are in age group of 45 to 50 years on an average.!  

While in Defense service, we attained higher rank and supervisory post, enjoyed better status. Now these types of loathful jobs, demotion and dishonor, hurt our sentiment every moment and these are the causes of great humiliation to our family members & relatives also.

Honourable President Sir, we are not only shocked by such dishonoured, disrespectful and mis-appropriation of appointment by the Indian Railway, but also it is a case of disrespect and dishonour towards the First person of our country who is Ex-Officio Head of our Defense personnel. We firmly regard as true that, above undesirable incidents occurring in Indian Railway, may be the cause of distrust among approximately 15,67,390 Ex-Servicemen, 3,72,179 Widows and 13,25,450 Serving Defense personnel. It’s our national responsibility to honour the veterans and make Armed Forces service attractive to our young generation.   

  

Now if we go through the various Railway Establishment Books where it is clearly stated that “ Ex-Servicemen can be directly enrolled in Indian Railway in Group-D and also in Group-C. Qualification for Group-D is Matriculate i.e. Class-X and qualification for

Group-C is graduation. But those Ex-Servicemen who are Class-X passed and completed 15 years of Defense service they will be treated as Graduate ”.

Through the essence of this plea, we would like to draw your heedful and prudent guts towards the following points:-

1)      Change of Trade & Group:-  Trade as well as Group of re-employed Ex-Servicemen in Indian Railway, may please be changed and accommodated them in any suitable Group-C post with higher Grade Pay. Appropriate designation also may please be offered and place them in a large organization, like Indian Railway accordingly.

2)      Counting of the previous service:-  Period of service rendered by Ex-Servicemen for determining their eligibility for Liberalized Active Retirement Scheme for Guaranteed Employment of their offspring. For entitlement of First Class Privilege Pass/PTO, post Retirement Complimentary Pass, on the basis of the Pay and Grade Pay in the post which Ex-servicemen re-employed plus their previous basic pay and Grade Pay, also for the other service benefits in Railway.

3)      Fixation pay:- Pay Fixation of Ex-Servicemen who have re-employd in Railway Service would be through protection of last basic pay in the pay band plus Grade pay and DA drawn at the time of released from Defense Service. This Pay Fixation benefit may please be given, ignoring entire pension, pension equivalent of retirement benefits and nothing to be reduced from the re-fixed pay.

4)      Quota in departmental promotion:- Quota or reservation for Ex-servicemen in the departmental promotion, keeping in view the general experience gained by the Ex-servicemen by virtue of disciplined defence service career and mental maturity, rules for promotion to higher cadres / jobs need to be relaxed. Departmental Exam for promotion may please be set aside as well. 

5)      Posting near to home:- Ex-Servicemen also desire to get work place nearer to home because during the Defense service, larger part of their life , they had to stay far from house and relatives.. When they were in Defense Service, they had to overlook their domestic problems. Parents and spouses have felt the want of their companionship, specially little children have been deprived of their childhood affection. It is seen that our age as well as past rigorous Military Service have not been considered by the Indian Railway authority at the time of our initial posting. 

    .

Honourable President Sir,We apologise to your Highness, for direct correspondence. We the Defense personnel have been trained to obey, not to make complaint, we speak what our hearts speak we are not very much aware of the civil law, but situation compelled us to make this plea. It is also fact that to cope with the minimum pension we pass our days very hard. Service personnel released from Defence services at comperatively young age. Majority of the service personnel at the time of retirement are at an age where they have numerous unfinished domestic responsibilities, which necessitate their taking up second occupation. Due to such financial hardship we have joined in Group-D post.  

 

In view of the above circumstances, here is an earnest entreaty to your patronizing manner, that your deliberation and discretionary power may kind enough to consider our prayer.

Salute to You, Jai Hind.

                                                                                        -Sd-

                                                                                  Chairman

                                                  Indian Railways Ex-Servicemen’s Welfare Association.

                           

Copy to: Sri Narendra Modi, Honourable Prime Minister of India, Honourable Defense Minister of India, Honourable Railway Minister of India, Honourable Minister Leader of Opposition Rajyasava India, Sri Arvind Kejriwal, CM Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party. The Directorate General Resettlement Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, Ministry of Defence. The Chairman NEXCC. The Editor In-Chief Times Of India. The Editor In-Chief Asian Age. The Editor In-Chief Hindustan Times. The Editor In-Chief The Telegraph.The Editor In-Chief Ananda Bazar Patrika. The Editor In-Chief Sanmarg.

                                                                                                                               -Sd-

                                                                                        Chairman

                                                  Indian Railways Ex-Servicemen’s Welfare Association..

To                                                                                                                  Dtd.27-02-2015.

The Chairman,

Railway Board, New Delhi-110001.

Sub:- Inappropriate appointment of Re-employed Ex-Servicemen, as  Safaiwala in the

   Indian Railway.

           

    Ref:- 1) APO/Eastern Railway/Liluah(Appointing Authority)’s Letter No. 206/2/EX.SM/2011. 

             Dtd.01-09-2014.

         2) Asstt. Welfare Officer, for Chief Works Manager/Eastern Railway/Liluah’s Office Order  

             No. LE:206/2/Ex-Serviceman/2011. Dtd. Liluah 15-Nov-2014.

         3) Chief Health Inspector/eastern Railway/LLH’s Joining Letter No. H/SAN/02/LLH. 

             Dtd.18-11-2014.

         4) APO for DRM/Eastern Railway/HWH’s Letter No.E/Rectt/Cl.IV/ExSM(Safaiwala/ 

             Mech). Dtd. 28-08-2014.

Dear Sir,

I would like to relate following few lines for your kind contemplation and need conducive action please. Ex-Servicemen had applied for the post of Group–D on the basis of Employment Notification No.P/ER/RRC/ESM/01/2013. After completion of long official procedure and formalities 27 nos. of Ex-Servicemen had received provisional appointment Letters for the post of Safaiwala in the various Railway Divisions, in Pay Band-I, in Scale—Rs.5200—20200/- with Grade Pay—Rs.1800/-Subsequently, they have resumed their duty as Safaiwala in Indian Railway, vide above references.

After few days of their service, they have observed that the job of a Group-D staff as Safaiwala in Indian Railway is dissimilar to their former job, which they had been habituated in the Defense service. In their Defense service they were on active service for several years. Now at the age of 40 to 50 years on an average, it is quite tormenting to do service as a Group-D staff, Safaiwala.

They stood guard along the borders while rest of the country enjoyed their sleep. Many of them did battle in inhospitable terrain and missed death by a whisker. Many of them are graduates and some even hold post-graduate degrees.

Many of them are qualified to handle high-tech Electronics & Electrical equipments. In Defense service, they have attained higher rank and supervisory post, enjoyed better status.

They served the nation with utmost satisfaction, honesty, with high degree of tolerance, with strict discipline to keep our country men in peace and raise tri-colour high with the deepest heart.

Now they have rewarded and forced to undertake the job as follows:-

a)      Cleaning of Drainage, surrounding the Railway Quarters.

b)     Sweeping of roads surrounding the Workshop, family accommodation area and School.

c)      Cleaning & sweeping of Trains.

d)     Cleaning of Garbage of Officers’ Club, washing of starecases of Quarters.

e)      The most unhygienic and unimaginable tasks they have to perform like removing of Carcasses, decomposed dead bodies and all sorts of dirty items from the area they are posted.

f)       Providing Bed-pan to the patients.

While in Defense service, they attained higher rank and supervisory post, enjoyed better status. Now these types of loathful jobs, demotion and dishonor, hurt our sentiment every moment and these are the causes of great humiliation to their family members & relatives also.

Honourable Sir, we the Ex-Sevicemen not only shocked by such dishonoured, disrespectful and mis-appropriation of appointment, by the Indian Railway, but also it is a case of disrespect and dishonour towards the First person of our country who is Ex-Officio Head of our Defense personnel. We firmly regard as true that, above undesirable incidents occurring in Indian Railway, may be the cause of distrust among approximately 15,67,390 Ex-Servicemen, 3,72,179 Widows and 13,25,450 Serving Defense personnel. It’s our national responsibility to honour the veterans and make Armed Forces service attractive to our young generation.   

   

If we go through the various Railway Establishment Books, there it is clearly stated that “Ex-Servicemen can be directly enrolled in Indian Railway in Group-D and also in Group-C. Qualification for Group-D is Matriculate i.e. Class-X and qualification for Group-C is graduation. But, those Ex-Servicemen who are Class-X passed and completed 15 years of Defense service they will be treated as Graduate”

It would be my pleasure to bring your kind notice that the names of the Ex-servicemen whose documents are being attached herewith, none of them opted the choice of post code no. of Safaiwala.

Through the essence of this letter, IREXWA is pleased to request your patronizing manner to look into the matter personally and advise to your good office to sort out the matter without further delay. 

Enclosed:-  Copy of the above references & related documents.

                                                                                                     -Sd-

Chairman

Indian Railways Ex-Servicemen’s Welfare Association.

                                               

Copy to:- The Directorate General Resettlement Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, Ministry of Defence. The General Manger, Eastern Railway. The CWM, Liuah Workshop, Eastern Railway. The Divisional Railway Manager, Howrah. The Chairman NEXCC. The Editor In-Chief Times Of India. The Editor In-Chief Asian Age. The Editor In-Chief Hindustan Times. The Editor In-Chief The Telegraph. The Editor In-Chief Ananda Bazar Patrika. The Editor In-Chief Sanmarg.

                                                                                                      -Sd-

Chairman

Indian Railways Ex-Servicemen’s Welfare Association.