Hit by COVID-19 lockdown, Indian Railways freezes job recruitment

Last November, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal had announced that the Railways had commenced the process to fill around 2.93 lakh posts.
Many passengers stood clueless outside the railway station, while some tried to convince to local cab drivers to take them home in various states. (Photo | PTI)
Many passengers stood clueless outside the railway station, while some tried to convince to local cab drivers to take them home in various states. (Photo | PTI)

CHENNAI: India's largest employer, Indian Railways, has decided not to fill any new posts across the country. The move comes following the economic hit COVID-19 has delivered.

Last November, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal had announced that the Railways had commenced the process to fill around 2.93 lakh posts.

But as part of their action plan for rationalisation of expenditure following the lockdown, the Railway board has now ordered the zonal railways and production units to freeze the creation of new posts except in the safety category until further orders.

The apex body of the railways also ordered zonal railways to review the posts created in the last two years, and if recruitment has not been completed for those posts, ordered that the same be surrendered.

In addition, 50 per cent of existing vacancies in non-safety categories including mechanical, electrical and signal and telecommunication departments also have to be surrendered, added the Railway board.

The official sources from Southern Railways said they are yet to get any official orders to assess the number of posts to be surrendered in the non-safety category. 

"However, surrendering the unwanted posts is a regular process and they are yet to start identifying the posts that are to left unfilled," said a senior railway official.

While ordering the recruiting agencies to comply with the order strictly, the railway board said it will issue separate orders for filling non-safety posts to Railway Recruitment Board's (RRB).

Sources from the railway employees union said the staff strength of Southern Railway is 80,000 in six divisions, as against a sanctioned strength of 1.02 lakhs.

"Many crucial posts which were filled with retired staff in the last few months have become vacant after many were relieved from their posts during the lockdown. The railways should try to fill vacancies at the earliest," said an office-bearer of the employees union.

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