(News) Railways Introduce Voluntary Retirement Scheme

The Ministry of Railways has issued orders introducing Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) for Loco Pilots (Drivers) and Trackmen (Gangmen) in the age group of 50 to 57 years with immediate effect.

The VRS called Safety Related Retirement Scheme will cover Loco Pilots and Trackmen whose working has a critical bearing on safety of train operations and track maintenance.

The VRS follows deliberations in the National Workshop on Safety presided over by the Railway Minister Shri Nitish Kumar on July 12 and 13, 2003.

The VRS has been framed keeping in consideration physical fitness caused by advancing age and reflexes of Loco Pilots and Trackmen deteriorating to cause a safety hazard. Loco Pilots are directly responsible for the running of trains and Trackmen for the proper maintenance of tracks. The two categories work in conditions in which fatigue sets in earlier than the staff working indoors or within station limits or in depots and workshops.

The VRS, which excludes Shunters, provides for employment to a suitable ward of the employee, whose application for retirement under the scheme is accepted.

The scheme will apply to those Loco Pilots and Trackmen who have completed 33 years of service. The request for retirement will be on voluntary basis. There will be no compulsion on the part of the Administration.

The ward of eligible Loco Pilots and Trackmen will be considered for appointment in the lowest recruitment grade of the respective category from which the employee seeks requirement.

Applications for VRS will be considered once in a year. The cut off date will be June 30 of an year. All conditions of appointment for the ward of such retirees will be determined from that date.

The last date for submission of retirement and consideration of a ward for appointment under the scheme will be July 31 of an year.

Employees, who have opted for VRS, desiring to withdraw their requests for retirement, can do so till September 30 of an year.

In the first phase of the scheme, those who have completed 33 years of qualifying service and are in the age group of 55 to 57 years would only be considered for VRS followed by those in the age group of 53 years onwards but less than 55 years.

The conditions of eligibility for wards of retiring employees would be the same as prescribed for direct recruitment from the open market. Suitability of such wards will be the same as in the case of direct recruitment. The assessment will be by the Railway Recruitment Board.

Under the scheme, no weightage towards qualifying service will be admissible to the employee seeking VRS. The wards appointed under the scheme will not be allowed to change the category, except under the existing rules.

In the second phase of the scheme, employees with less than 33 years of qualifying service would be considered.

Courtesy : PIB