The Curse of Supporting Self-Seekers in Leadership Triad of Indian Railways

Government servants who receive public funds cannot make decisions that directly benefit them

Curse is a strong word. We know..

When one ponders at the crisis of leadership in Indian Railways, one wonders at the reasons which made surf-riders rule the roost pushing down officers with gravitas of competence and commitment. Some reasons are as bad as a curse.

Several decisions contributed to this, but few stand out. We discuss one such #Policy, that of indiscriminate #retention of #railway-residence at previous place of posting even when intended beneficiary, i.e. a minor school going child is not in equation.

ये भी सुनें: “भारतीय रेल-2024: उपलब्धियाँ और विसंगतियाँ!”

Not just #unethical, this action is plain #corruption and amounts to siphoning of #government resources for personal enrichment as these premium government houses command a market #rental-value of lakhs of rupees per month.

How can the government even allow this?

Leadership Triad

Amongst thousands of officers very few become #DRMs, fewer still go on to become #GMs and select few go on to become #Members of the #RailwayBoard. It is these officers who number less than a hundred who decided the #destiny and #direction of more than a million #railwaymen. And suffice to say, these hundred officers also cook the goose of the political leadership-no matter how smart they may think of themselves. Any #reform must begin with these less than 100 officers.

The DRMs, GMs and Members constitute the leadership triad of Indian Railways.

The Fab 100

Trouble today is that to go to these positions of leadership triad, one must just, essentially have a clean chit from #vigilance-period. These officers bend rules for their comfort, convenience or plain greed while keeping vigilance records clear-arrests in the leadership triad validates this statement.

Ideally, these officers must have #credibility, they can be battle scarred but should have #voice which is considered #credible. How can that be ensured?

Filters to Ensure Credibility

First filter

NoGo : One, look for officers who have remained in one city largely. More than 15-20 years in one city must be #disqualification for #DRMship – the point of entry for leadership triad.

Give higher score to officers who chose to serve in tough geographies, took decisions, decided on tenders, constructed, operated, maintained, handled breakdowns, made systems. These officers need to be measured on toughness to take decisions, even if they are unpopular. Or they just went with the flow!

Another, these officers must be ready to be subjected to highest levels of ethical conduct. Do they use office vehicles to do children duty? What is their social media presence? Measure if they have bloated ego, or they have megalomania, conduct interview to count number of times he or she uses ‘I’ in describing their work.

Second Filter-Beneficiaries of Biggest Curse-Indian Railway’s Big Unethical Act

Thousands of officers feel cheated when they see rules being bent for these hundred odd officers of leadership triad.

Government of India permits retention of residence to the end of academic year if the officer has a school going child. This has been done to permit minor children to have #Safety of government accommodation while a parent is away.

This clearly has a laudable angle which is for the safety of minor children. Government laws also deal minor and major children separately.

But the logic has now been extended to limits of absurdity. How?

Now entire leadership triad can retain their accommodation in previous place of posting! Why should this be permitted? Even when DRMs, GMs, Members have married children, they still retain previous accommodation-how is it ethical?

Routinely, it is working children who are accommodated in these spacious residences in New Delhi and Mumbai while parent is in the leadership triad and posted elsewhere. Does this even sound ethical? When this leadership triad is so concerned about their married and working children, how can they implement routine policies like rotation?

This is the reason why, despite the logical and ethical appeal of #rotation, it cannot be implemented by a government capable of making decisions like abolishing #Article-370.

What needs to be done: Immediately withdraw policy permitting the retention of previous residence except for the completion of academic session of minor children. When rules of Level-16 and 17 empanelment which should have been implemented prospectively with new recruited batches but were immediately done at the detriment of hundreds of officers, there is no reason why this should not be immediately implemented for DRMs, GMs and Members.

जहाँ 3 महीने पहले #GM की पोस्टिंग हो रही है और महीनों पहले L-17 का पैनल अप्रूवल हो रहा है, वहाँ लगभग 3 महीने की देरी से 23 #DRM की पोस्टिंग हो गई।
यहाँ तक तो ठीक है, परंतु अब @RailMinIndia को यह ध्यान रखना है कि निवर्तमान इन अधिकारियों की नई पोस्टिंग इनके पुराने स्थानों पर न हो!

— RAILWHISPERS (@Railwhispers) December 27, 2024

In case a member of the leadership triad has a problem, they should be forced to choose between the leadership role or the retention of residence. This filter would ensure that only credible and ethical officers who will treat their jobs with respect and with sense of duty are permitted in this leadership triad.

Why should premium residences in metropolitan cities be blocked for years when the officers have major children not dependent on them the only occupant?

Filter-III

In the leadership triad, only the DRMs return, the #GMship will usually be a terminal posting or few will get promoted to be posted in New Delhi as Members or Chairman which in any case is terminal posting.

There is no reason why should #GMs, #Members or #Chairmen retain their previous place of posting.

Those #DRMs who have retained their houses, should not return to their previous city of posting. You cannot eat your cake and keep it also.

Conclusion

These basic filters will ensure that only those officers come to leadership triad who are ready to put their duty above their personal conveniences. One can study how armed forces manage their postings and transfers. Can’t #IndianRailways manage just hundred such roles ethically and honestly?

Unless the leadership triad is cleansed of such self-seeking officers, no meaningful reform can take place. It is sad that #political-leadership was taken for a ride by the Khan Market Gang (#KMG) and All India Delhi Service (#AIDS), who created this system of residence retention even for their grown-up married sons and daughters.

The #Minister might apply a soothing balm to the wounds of officers who were unjustly sidelined by a rigged system of empanelment by abandoning this unethical policy and implementing the three #filters. Government servants who receive public funds cannot make decisions that directly benefit them. Once officers who pass through these filters ascend to leadership positions, the system will respect them greatly, and systemic corruption will be significantly curtailed.

This will be true #transformation. Time that these aberrations are set right.