Railway ministry sits over staff welfare funds

Railway ministry has underutilised funds allocated for building staff quarters for two successive financial years, a Parliamentary committee has said.

There was a shortfall in utilisation of funds for staff welfare to the tune of Rs 50 crore (Rs 500 million) in 2005-06 and Rs 57 crore (Rs 570 million) in 2006-07, said the Standing Committee on Railways in its latest report on "Industrial Relations and Staff Welfare in Railways."

Taking exception to the shortfall in utilisation of funds year after year, the committee has sought appropriate steps to ensure full utilisation of funds.

A corporate welfare plan has been prepared by the railway as a staff welfare scheme to pay special attention towards maintenance and improvement of staff quarters with particular emphasis on substandard quarters lacking basic amenities.

However, the committee has found out that though there is a requirement of sanctioning of around Rs 450 crore (Rs 4.5 billion) every year under the corporate welfare plan for maintenance and improvement of staff quarters, the total funds allocated under this plan is just Rs 344.22 crore (Rs 3.44 billion) in 2007-08.

Since the staff quarters in some of the railway colonies are in dilapidated condition, the commiittee feels that the fund allocation for improvement of quarters should be increased to match the requirement.