MR’s Point of View on Our Article
Following publication under headline – “MR’s Speech-Should Railwaymen Laugh or Scurry for Cover is the Question” on 26 December, 2024 followed by a post on social media platform X which gave feedback of a Level-16 officer, we got a call from Minister for Railways Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Points which we raised were taken from his speech on the occasion of #RailwayWeek Award function. These points were brought in to focus when Level-16 and 17 officers-both serving and retired raised the following:
- Speech showed lack of appreciation of roles of Junior and Senior Scale officers. There is no understanding of #transition from frontline leadership to Headquarters’s planning roles through institution of Branch Officers (#BOs) in the Division.
- The role of #Division and that of #ZonalRailways have been conflated-which these officers considered dangerous to say the least. By calling #PHODs to rush to the #accident/#incident site upends time tested disaster management protocol and blunts the only surviving practice.
- The call to send PHODs for #training in skills like #welding and #fitting raises disturbing questions on their #technical abilities at a time when this nursery of Level-16 and 17 roles is reeling under unprecedented loss of morale.
- The speech showed lack of knowledge of institutional forums like #DMG, #ESC, #IRSE, #IPWE etc.
- Officers he called out from stage shows his liking of #yesmen.
By such exhortation, Hon’ble Minister for Railways (#MR) ended up raising questions on his predecessors under #NDA government as this amounted to further disruption of the command structure which had kept #railways working despite resource constraints.
Language of the article reflected the angst that country’s largest #civil organisation and oldest heavy #engineering organisation has been reduced to a juvenile level.
MR’s Point of View
Shri Vaishnaw spoke with respect which is due to #journalists and took #criticism very sportingly which shows his grooming as highly educated minister.
He acknowledged that #Railwhispers has been receiving and disseminating feedback in exemplary way and endorsed #credibility of this platform. He explained his thinking behind his four exhortations.
He said that he wants senior management to have appreciation of the hard work ground staff is performing. Also, tough decisions taken by management can be better understood when junior staff can see for themselves what are the conditions and compulsions in which decisions are taken. This, he said, was at the core of his speech which many did not appreciate.
He also expressed his desire to meet at an early date to discuss the feedback threadbare.
Editorial View
It takes courage to face criticism and discuss critical article. Shri Vaishnaw scores high on this.
We would like to take dear readers to our article we published on 09 July 2021 when Shri Vaishnaw took over: “नए रेलमंत्री अश्विनी वैष्णव का स्वागत है: सकारात्मक माहौल बनाने और रेल की छवि सुधारने के लिए लेने होंगे कुछ अप्रिय निर्णय”.
From July 2021 to 26 Dec 2024: “MR’s Speech-Should Railwaymen Laugh or Scurry for Cover is the Question”, the journey leaves much to be desired.
This period saw rise of #Vigilance, #Advisor to MR, #IRMS and saw unraveling of each of these. Today Advisor is out, utopian and unified IRMS is out, #RailwayBoard Vigilance is finally under set of former DRMs bringing poise and balance with clean working, i.e. ‘no extortion working’-truly in spirit of Modi ji’s assurance to honest and bold workers.
It is to Modi ji’s Government credit that it does not hesitate to calibrate. There is surely a crying need for #reformation and #transformation. All we request Shri Vaishnaw is to bring to the helm credible officers who had withdrawn or were forced out by the types who were booked by #CBI and brought shame and embarrassment. Just check for number of years an officer has spent in Delhi. Look for officers who occupied decision making positions, build systems and delivered-spot and sideline ruthlessly the surf riders.
We would like Shri #AshwiniVaishnaw and #PMO to listen to the stalwarts of Railways who, unfortunately, are not #Members of the Khan Market Gang (#KMG) and All India Delhi Service (#AIDS).
Hon’ble MR and his Advisers (Board Members), and Readers may like to read this article again:
“नए रेलमंत्री अश्विनी वैष्णव का स्वागत है: सकारात्मक माहौल बनाने और रेल की छवि सुधारने के लिए लेने होंगे कुछ अप्रिय निर्णय” which we published in July 2021 may be read again.