No.AIRF/516 Dated: July 26, 2019
Hon’ble Minister
for Railways,
Ministry of Railways,
Rail Bhawan,
New Delhi
Ministry of Railways,
Rail Bhawan,
New Delhi
Respected Sir,
Sub: Corporatization of Modern
Coach Factory/Rae Bareli and other Production Units of the Indian Railways as
“Rolling Stock Company”
Ref.: Chairman, Railway
Board’s letter No.2019/E&R/10(10)/12 dated 18.06.2019
We are of the firm opinion
that, all the Production Units of the Railways, including Modern Coach Factory,
Rae Bareli, function efficiently well and can be proud of their workforce as
also the management. Against an installed capacity of one thousand coaches per
annum, MCF scripted a unique success story by manufacturing 1425 number of
coaches during the just concluded Financial Year, i.e. 2018-19, doubling its
production from the previous year (711 coaches in the year 2017-18). Continuing
this tempo with zest, MCF is slated to manufacture 2158number of coaches in the
current financial year to support the Railway Passenger Transport Operations.
This tentamounts to tripling its production in just two years, a fact unheard
of in any major industrial unit of the Indian Railways.
On the fronts of cost and economies
of production, MCF has established a record by turning out top quality coaches
at the lowest cost. As is evident from the fact that, in the Financial Year
2018-19 coach out turn was 1425 coaches on an average cost of Rs.2.06 crore,
having total number of 2201 employees on roll only. The cost of manufacture of
coaches at MCF is very competitive even when compared to imported LHB coaches
which were bought at a cost of Rs.5.17 crore (approx.) per coach in the year
1995.
Similarly, production of rolling
stock of different kinds has increased to a great extent in almost all the
Railway Production Units over the years. So far as technological upgradation is
concerned, Railway’s Production Units have come forward to manufacture T-18
rakes and air-conditioned EMU/MEMU rakes indigenously which are serving rail
users’ to their utmost satisfaction. Obviously, Railwaymen have proved their
worth to accept any kind of challenge in the field of manufacturing rolling
stock (all types coaches/ locomotives) with the state-of-art technology.
However, we agree with the
dictum that, even the best need not be perfect and there is room for
improvement. We are for both financial and functional viability to all the
Production Units, so that, the respective management and workforce can evolve
best practices and procedures to make those units highly competitive in their
performance. Any concrete proposal in this regard, from whichever quarter it
emanates, is most welcome and workers will be too happy to consider.
Mere change in the form of the
entity, we are convinced, will not bring about any performance related
improvements, i.e. BSNL, which was a product of corporatization of a highly
profitable departmental entity, is a glaring example to consider.
It is worth-mentioning here
that, serious unrest is brewing among the employees working in the Production
Units of the Indian Railways, including MCF/RBL, on account of Ministry of
Railway’s proposal to corporatize Railway’s Production Units as an agenda of
100 day’s Action Plan. They are agitating this issue continuously by holding
rallies, dharnas, demonstrations etc., which may result in serious threat to
industrial harmony prevailing since nearly four decades over the Indian Railway
System.
AIRF is, therefore, of the
firm opinion that, Ministry of Railways should not go ahead with any move to
corporatize Indian Railway’s existing Production Units in the larger interest
of the workers as also of the Railway Industry.
With Regards,
Sincerely yours,
(Shiva Gopal Mishra)
General Secretary
General Secretary
√Copy to: Chairman, Railway
Board, New Delhi – for necessary action please.
//copy//
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