Question : Shortage of Staff

(a) whether there is a huge shortage of frontline employees in the ‘safety category’ of the Railways;

(b) if so, the number of such posts lying vacant as on 1 December, 2016;

(c) whether this has resulted in the existing workers getting overburdened and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the measures like replacement of overaged assets, adoption of suitable technologies for upgradation and maintenance of tracks, rolling stock, signalling and interlocking system etc. are also getting affected due to the shortage of staff; and

(e) if so, the details thereof and the corrective steps taken by the Government in this regard?

MINISTER OF RALWAYS
(SHRI SURESH PRABHAKAR PRABHU)
(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF STARRED QUESTION NO.395 BY DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE AND SHRIRANG APPA BARNE TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 14.12.2016 REGARDING SHORTAGE OF STAFF

(a) & (b): No, Madam. The total number of vacancies in safety categories including frontline safety vacancies in Group ‘C’ and erstwhile Group ‘D’ in Zonal Railways as on 01.11.2016 is 125754 (provisional).

(c) No, Madam. The working hours of Railway servants are regulated as per statutory provisions of the Railways Act, 1989 and the Railway Servants (Hours of Work & Period of Rest) Rules, 2005. In accordance with these provisions, the Railway servants are classified as ‘Intensive’ ‘Continuous’ and ‘Essentially Intermittent’. Zonal Railway Administrations prepare the duty rosters keeping in view administrative and operational requirements. However, in emergent situations, they are sometimes required to work beyond these rostered hours of work for which they are suitably compensated as per extant rules.

(d) & (e): No, Madam. Replacement of over aged assets is not linked to shortage of staff but availability of funds for maintenance and to meet the requirement of replacement of old stock.
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