A proposal to run railways only through engineers and technocrats has divided the state-run transporter vertically at a time when it is facing a huge challenge due to declining freight and passenger earnings and the fiscal burden of the 7th Pay Commission.
An 'unsigned' proposal, mooted for discussion in the railway board, suggested that recruitment in railways from the Civil Services Examination should be abolished and the transporter should be run only by engineers.
While the proposal claimed that the new system will "reduce inter-departmental conflicts", it has triggered a turf war, leading to demoralization and alienation in the rail bureaucracy at a crucial time.
Currently, railways is managed by five engineering services and three civil services cadres -- Indian Railways Traffic Service ( IRTS), Indian Railways Account Service (IRAS) and Indian Railways Personnel Service ( IRPS).
The proposal suggested inducting all services through UPSC's Engineering Services Exam (ESE), which would mean a complete ban on entry of non-engineers into the railways.
The move has forced the civil services cadres to form a separate association and write to the rail minister in protest, saying railways could not be termed a 'project based organization' like CPWD as it involves providing safe and efficient freight and passenger transportation.
Mechanical engineers supported the civil services officers. Terming the proposal "departmentally biased", their association said the document was "an instrument to further empire building by one department at the cost of another".
However, an official said the proposal was just to initiate a discussion for HR reforms.
The civil servants, along with mechanical engineers, have sought implementation of the Bibek Debroy panel's suggestions calling for merger of the eight services into two cadres - management and technical.
An official said this proposal seemed to be mooted after a feeling that the management cadre would have an upper hand in the railways.
"Ironically, stores and electrical service officers are being favoured for the posts of GM, DRM and ADRM in the current set-up while officers from mechanical were put in key positions during the tenure of the last railway board chairman. Today, there is only one GM from traffic service while several officers from stores are posted as ADRM," said an official.
He added, "How would it be feasible to recruit personnel for what is essentially non-technical work of HR, finance and operations/marketing from a technically oriented exam."
Source:-The Economic Times
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