Running staff of Mumbai Central Division agitated On/Off Duty with BA test

Demand: All the railway employees too have to do BA test while coming to and leaving from duty

GR 2.09(1) of Indian Railway and SR 2.09(1)&(2) are applicable to all the railway staff then why only running staff?

Mumbai: Running Staff of Mumbai Central Division of Western Railway wrote a letter to Divisional Railway Manager, Mumbai Central (DRM/BCT) about the BA Test and question why it’s limited only for the running staff, why not implemented for all Railway employees?

Running staff write, ‘we the running staff of Mumbai division are very hurt and pained at the above referred letter asking only running staff to do BA test while doing On duty as well as while doing Off Duty. It seems administration has a definitive view that only running staff drink liquor that too while working the train. This is making us feel as if we are cheaters, careless, anti-nationals, bunch of buffoons who never value the law of land or train working rules.’

They said, ‘we are not denying that we don’t drink but, we are 100% sure that no running staff drink liquor while working on train. It may be kindly noted that all the other railway staff, including the safety category staff who are also directly linked with train safety and train working, also drink liquor but they are never treated like this. Then why only we are targeted?’

‘This targeting of running staff is a clear violation of article 14 of indian constitution which ensures right of equality to all its citizens. Even the GR 2.09(1) of Indian Railway and SR 2.09(1)&(2) are applicable to all the railway staff then why only running staff are made to go through this kind of humiliation making us feel like culprits. It is really shameful that our supervisors who are drunk themselves are supervising and complaining against us.’

Staff requested to DRM, ‘we request you to your honour that this kind of differential implementation of GR 2.09(1) and SR 2.09(1)(2) should be stopped immediately and the rules should be implemented for all the railway employees equally thus ensuring equal rights as envisaged under article 14 of Indian constitution.

‘We also demand that till all the railway employees are asked to do BA test, the running staff may also be exempted. We are not against BA test, but we are against it’s selective implementation by which only running staff are treated as culprits.’

‘We want justice and hope that being guardian of all the railway employees under your command you will take a decision by which our prestige is restored and all the railway employees too have to do BA test while coming to and leaving from duty like us.’

Hope that running staff’s views may given due thought and rules are implemented universally.