Rlys drops unified cadre plan, only two services to be merged for now

PLAN FOR A UNIFIED CADRE HIT A ROADBLOCK WHEN IT WAS ARGUED THAT EXAMS, WHICH ALLOW ENTRY TO DIFFERENT SERVICES, CAN’T BE CLUBBED

NEW DELHI: Abandoning the original proposal of unifying the services of all railway officers, Railways minister Suresh Prabhu has pitched a plan of only merging the mechanical and electrical services to begin with.

Over time, the Railways minister plans to merge the eight existing railway services into two categories – technical and non-technical.

In a note likely to be moved for cabinet approval this month, the ministry is also silent on the original idea of making the merger effective from the date of the order.

The decision to club together the technical and non-technical services will have prospective effects, sources said. This implies that the merger plan will take approximately three decades to roll out, as the new rule (of two railway services) will apply only to fresh recruits, while the existing officers will continue to retain their cadres.

“Such half hearted measures at merging the services is unlikely to bring in the intended changes in the work culture”, a ministry official said.

Representatives of railway unions have not taken kindly to Prabhu’s re-invented plan. “Such a move is akin to solving the problem of casteism by using the tools of communalism. Such a segregation (of cadres) will increase instead of lessening departmental rivalries”, leaders of five unions have said in a joint submission to Prabhu.

Sources said the plan for a unified cadre hit a roadblock following the Union Public Service Commission’s reasoning that it was not possible to club together the different examinations currently being taken for entry into the different railway services.

Pushing ahead with the restructuring plans, the ministry lately re-designated and redefined roles of two Railway Board members, while a similar order on a third board member is awaited.

Earlier, the Signaling and Telecom departments were taken away from the responsibilities of the Member (Electrical) and the charge was handed over to Member (Engineering).