Press Statement – Highly disappointing Rail Budget
The National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR) expresses its serious disappointrnent over the Rail Budget (2016-17) presented by Shri Suresh Prabhu, Railway Minister in the Parliament on 25* February 2016
According to the President and General SecretaryArlFlR Shri Guman Singh and Raghavaiah, the Rail Budget document is “towards journey for pivattzation of Indian Railways in the name of transforrnation”. It is sad to note that the Railway Minister has not given due recognition to the dedicated services being rendered by various categories of Railway employees who toil hard day and night.
NFIR leaders said that the Rail Budget is totally uninspiring and on the contrary generating resentment among Railway employees as the aim of the Budget is to “aggressively implement pivatization, outsourcing”of regular Railway activities.
NFIR expressed its unhappiness as the commitrnents given by the previous Railway Ministers thro’ Budget or’,noor”i-ents have not been fulfilled notably: Free Medical treatrnent to the dependant parents of Railway employees and construction of New Railway quarters under the corporate welfare plan drawn up years back by the Railway Ministry. The announcement of previous Railway Ministers on the floor of the Parliament that “House for all” has unfortunately been forgotten.
It is quite disappointing that although the Bonus Act has been amended w.e.f. 0110412014 for calculation of Bono. rates to Rs. 7000/- p.m., the Railway Minster did not make any announcement for making payment of PL Bonus to Railway employees at revised rate of Rs. 70001- p.m. for the year 2014-15.
NFIR said that the condition of Railway colonies and Railway quarters are totally deteriorated. The Rail Budget has not addressed this welfare aspect adequately.
The Federation expresses its anguish over the failure of Railway Ministry in filling up vacancies of 2.5 lakh vacancies in Railways, out of which over 1.5 laktr vacancies belong to safety categories.
The Federation also expresses its unhappiness over the non-allocation of adequate resources for improving the Railway Hdspitals, Health Units and creating Super Specialty facilities atleast in the Zonal Railway Hospitals. The long pending dernand of NFIR for making provision of Road Mobile Medical Vans for ensuring Medical treaftnent to the Railway employees working at remote places, jungle areas, has not been given due priority in the Rail Budget.
NFIR is also of the view that the Rail Budget has not satisfied any section of people.
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