'Increase in fares must to save railways' by railenquiry on 09 September, 2012 - 08:00 AM | ||
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railenquiry | 'Increase in fares must to save railways' on 09 September, 2012 - 08:00 AM | |
NAGPUR: Saying that the financial condition of the railways was becoming very precarious, M Raghavaiah, general secretary of the National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR). He added that if situation got any worse, railways could go the way of Air India."To save the railways increasing the fares is a must. It should be hiked to 60% of the price of bus tickets," Raghavaiah said. He was addressing the first All India Loco Inspectors Meet held on Saturday in which representatives from all 17 zones of Indian Railways took part. It was hosted by the Central Railway Mazdoor Sangh (CRMS) Nagpur.Raghavaiah blamed politicians for the fares not being hiked for nine years now. "The public is not opposed to price hike if they get good service," he said, adding that even the 2 lakh vacancies, especially in the safety department, need to be filled up.The meet also discussed various other problems specific to loco inspectors, the prime one being the issue of anomaly of payment between senior loco inspectors and those who were promoted to the post after 2006. The difference in the salaries is as much as Rs10,000.The other problems included the victimization of loco inspectors during accidents for which loco pilots were responsible, and demands for extension of risk allowance to loco inspectors and also extending the Liberalised Active Retirement Scheme for Guaranteed Employment for Safety Staff (LARGESS) to them. |