British-era railway printing presses to be shut

The Railway Board has decided to shut down the ultimate last railway printing presses in the country, including the Central Railway press in Byculla. Railway unions fear that it is a step in opposition to privatisation of the Railways. The other 4 presses to be closed are at Howrah (Eastern Railway), Delhi (Northern Railway), Chennai (Southern Railway) and Secunderabad (South Central Railway).

The choice used to be conveyed to all general managers of Indian Railways by way of Manoj Kumar Gupta, exe. Director of Railway Stores, Railway Board in a letter dated June four. The letter also states that “the large tips for implementation of the above choice of Railway Board has been duly agreed by way of chairman of the railway board.”

The choice has now not long gone down neatly with participants of a number of railway unions. “This is a step in opposition to privatisation of railways and we will strongly oppose it,” stated Praveen Bajpai, general secretary of Central Railway Mazdoor Sangh.

General secretary of the National Railway Mazdoor Union (NRMU) Venu P Nair echoed his perspectives. “It’s now not only a subject of Indian Railways but in addition a question of the rustic. We will never allow somebody to privatise the railway. Chakka jam kar denge (we will block it),” he warned.

The Byculla printing press used to be opened in 1895 and used to be the hub of printing activity for the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, predecessor of the Central Railway. Tickets, receipts, documents, time tables, bureaucracy and books meant to be used by way of the Railways and the public have been revealed on the press. Currently it prints around 2 crore general tickets used in unreserved ticketing programs.

“There used to be a time when 25 crore tickets have been revealed for CR every year. Gradually, the strength of the employees, too, has come down from over 1,000 to merely 325,” stated an worker of Byculla printing press.

Arailway authentic feels this generally is a cost-cutting exercise. “Railways desires to outsource the printing requirement because it costs around 40% less out of doors. Labour costs are extremely affordable in the printing industry compared to railway.” “The Railways is administered as a socialist organisation, but the time has come to cut wasteful expenditure and deploy human resources for extra productive work in operations, safety or industrial departments,” added some other railway authentic.

The Railways’ choice to shut the presses has also drawn complaint with Left leaders. “This is a part of their large sport. Already information has come up from Niti Ayog that even blue chip corporations are going to be privatised. After the large mandate, the worries with public welfare are going to be abandoned. Closing of railway printing presses is simplest a part of that time table,” stated CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury.

Ok Hemalatha, the national president of the Citu, the CPM’s trade union wing stated the verdict to sell the printing presses used to be consistent with the recommendations made by way of the Bibek Debroy committee.

“They (Narendra Modi government) are pushing for the privatisation of railway for the large mandate they won however that mandate used to be now not for a sell-out of the railways and public sector undertakings,” she stated.

The Bibek Debroy Committee arrange in 2014 had really helpful that the Indian Railways should focus at the core provider: running trains. The committee record had clarified that its advice used to be for liberalisation and now not privatisation.

DL Karad, the Citu Maharashtra president, stated they are going to be meeting on June 16 and 17 in Delhi to chalk out the next plan of action. “Niti Aayog has made it transparent in the next 100 days, the method of promoting 43 public sector gadgets can be started. This strategic sale has to be fought. We are in talks with other trade unions throughout the all India co-ordination committee of trade unions to prepare for militant combat,” stated Karad.