Transformational Organizational Restructuring of Indian Railways approved by the Cabinet

PM Modi-led Cabinet approved the transformational organizational restructuring of the Indian Railways, announced Railway Minister Piyush Goyal in a press release on Tuesday, December 24. 

According to the reforms introduced, the Board will now have some independent members and the Chairman Railway Board (CRB) will head the re-organization of Railway Board on functional lines.

According to the Press Information Bureau, Government of India, the reforms include:

• Unification of the existing eight Group A services of the Railways into a Central Service called Indian Railway Management Service (/RMS)
• Re-organization of Railway Board on functional lines headed by CRB with four Members and some Independent Members
• The existing service of Indian Railway Medical Service (IRMS) to be consequently renamed as Indian Railway Health Service (IRHS)

"This organization of the department runs deep down to the grass-root level of the Railways," the government says in a release. The release read that: "Railways has an ambitious program to modernize and provide the highest standards of safety, speed, and services to the passengers with a proposed investment of Rs. 50 lakh crore over the next 12 years.”

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The release reiterated that various committees like the Prakash Tandon Committee (1994), and Sam Pitroda Committee (2012), etc. have recommended the unification of services by reforming the Railways in the past.

"The independent members will help the Railway Board in setting a strategic direction. The restructured Board will start functioning after approval of the Board taking due care to ensure that officers are posted in the restructured Board or adjusted in the same pay and rank till their retirement," the release added. 

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Railway officers have been consulted at a two-day conference in Delhi on December 7 and 8 about the undertaking of the reform. All measures were taken with the support and consensus of the Railways Board too, which recommended a number of reforms including the ones mentioned. 

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal added that the move will not affect employee strength and told agencies, “The unification of services will end ‘departmentalism’, promote the smooth working of railways, expedite decision making, create a coherent vision for the organization and promote rational decision making.”

“Railway board will no longer be organized on departmental lines, and replaced with a leaner structure organized on functional lines," the government said.

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(With Inputs from ANI)