Urgent Judicial Compliance Required for the Reorganization of the All India RPF Association

Admin

NEW DELHI: A critical administrative transition is underway within the All India RPF Association (#AIRPFA) following a definitive mandate from the Madurai Bench of the Hon’ble Madras High Court. The judicial directive, issued on November 21, 2025, has established a strict roadmap for the reorganization of the #Association to ensure its legal and democratic functioning.

The Judicial Mandate

The High Court’s order (W.P.(MD) No. 2470 of 2020) explicitly directs the AIRPFA to constitute an Ad Hoc Committee comprised solely of serving members of the force. A key provision of this order is the total exclusion of retired personnel from this committee, a measure designed to address previous disputes regarding unauthorized bylaw amendments and leadership legitimacy.

The primary responsibilities of this Ad Hoc Committee are:

  • Amending or withdrawing earlier bylaw amendments that were found to be out of accordance with established rules.
  • Passing appropriate resolutions for reorganization under the supervision of three observers to be nominated by the Railway Board.
  • Conducting fresh elections to select the permanent office bearers of the Association.

The Court has set a firm deadline, stating that this entire exercise must be completed on or before July 31, 2026.

Steps Taken Toward Compliance

In direct response to the court order, the AIRPFA convened a Special Virtual Convention on December 14, 2025. This meeting, held via Google Meet, was restricted only to the serving members of the Force to ensure compliance with the judicial restriction on retired personnel.

During this convention, a 16-member Ad Hoc body was unanimously elected to lead the transition. Key appointments include:

  • President: A. S. Siddiqui (IPF, Hajipur, ECR)
  • General Secretary: Suresh Kumar Swami (IPF, ZI, HQ, NWR)
  • Working President: Dr. Vijay S. Salve (SI, BSL, CR)

The minutes of this convention and the full list of interim office bearers were formally submitted to the Director General of the Railway Protection Force (#DGRPF) on December 21, 2025, for official perusal and action.

The Need for Urgent Administrative Action

Despite these internal steps, the final phase of the reorganization depends on the intervention of the Railway Board. In a follow-up letter dated April 16, 2026, the AIRPFA urged the DGRPF and the Railway Board to expedite the appointment of the three mandatory observers.

As per the Hon’ble High Court’s order, the presence of these observers is a legal prerequisite for the Ad Hoc Committee to proceed with bylaw amendments and the subsequent election of a new executive team. With the July 31, 2026 deadline approaching, the Association has emphasized that prompt action from the Railway Board is essential to fulfill the High Court’s requirements and restore organizational legality.

The successful completion of this process will mark a formal transfer of authority to a newly elected, legally recognized executive team, finally bringing the Association into full judicial and administrative compliance and a big democratic relief for members of the force.