NEWSLINKS US EDITION SOUTH ASIA COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL DEAR REDIFF THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES US ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
Amin Ahmed Babu in Kolkata.
The Eastern Railways Union has decided to launch a month-long agitation from July 11 to protest the proposed bifurcation of Eastern Railways.
The Indian National Trade Union Congress backed Eastern Railways Men's Congress as well as Central Government Employees Association has also decided to back the agitation call.
The bifurcation would require more than 3000 employees to be transferred to the newly formed East Central Railways to be headquartered in Hajipur, Bihar.
The ERU leaders argue that their opposition to the proposed bifurcation is different from the 'purely political opposition' of the likes of Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee.
Sujit Roy, the president of ERU, said, "When the Eastern Railways zone becomes small, it would incur loses, giving enough reasons to the government then for handing it over to private parties."
Roy said a special committee must be constituted to study all the ramifications of the proposed bifurcation without 'involving political motives'.
He said a memorandum has been given to the Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Union Railways Minister Nitish Kumar citing their concerns.
"The Eastern Railways is already running a loss in the ratio of 100:121. The bifurcation will make the ratio at 100:200 as our main earning divisions -- Dhanbad and Mughal Sarai -- have been given to the new zone," Roy said.
He also claimed that initially the proposed bifurcation was supposed to include only Danapur and Kathihar and not Dhanbad.
Dhanbad contributes almost 70 per cent of the total income of the Eastern Railways.
The unions also believe the bifurcation will lead to 'over-staffing' at Kolkata, the headquarters of Eastern Railways, while 'a massive amount' would be spent on recruiting workers for the new zone.
M Mitra of the Eastern Railway Men's Congress said, "Besides Hajipur is not in the main line and not less than Rs 50 billion rupees would have to spent to connect it with other headquarters."
While the high profile spat between Mamata and Nitish Kumar is turning the issue as an 'inter-state dispute', the unions are concerned about the cracks in workers' unity as a result of such an approach.
"This is what irks us. The unity of the workers is being divided," confessed S K Brahma, secretary of the Eastern Railway Men's Union. "We are worried that such an issue will divide the entire nation."
This fear of the unions seems justified as a group of twenty workers, primarily from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, have expressed their support for the division.
"The unity of our union has been threatened. Until now it was never as Bengalis or Biharis," added Brahmo.
The Eastern Railways Officers' Association, though, holds a different view.
"The population has grown, and so has the burden on the railways. Why not share it for better services?" asked P K Das, president of the Eastern Railways Promotee Officers' Association.
He said the unions are opposing the bifurcation 'just for the sake of opposing' and are 'politicing the issue'.
Back to top
Tell us what you think of this report
