Great opportunity / Hurry or miss out! Bumper vacancy in railways, big decision taken after Kanchenjunga tragedy.
Indian Railway Recruitment Latest News : Railway Board has instructed General Managers of all Zonal Railways to complete driver recruitment process within a week, this decision will reduce the burden on over duty drivers and reduce accidents due to human error (drivers).
Indian Railway Recruitment: On Monday, the day after the Kanchenjunga train accident in West Bengal, the Railway Board has announced orders for the recruitment of 18,799 assistant pilots (drivers) with immediate effect. The Railway Board has instructed the General Managers of all Zonal Railways to complete the driver recruitment process within a week. This decision of Railways will reduce the burden on over duty drivers and reduce accidents due to human error (drivers).
Railway Recruitment Board Director-Establishment Vidyadhar Sharma announced these orders late on Tuesday evening. The order mentions that 5696 Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) posts have been approved for recruitment on 15 December 2023. But additional recruitment of ALP was demanded from 16 zonal railways. After reviewing it, the Railway Board has now decided to recruit 18,799 ALPs.
Along with this it said that Indian Railway Recruitment Management System (OIRMS) will complete the recruitment process of ALP within a week with the help of Railway Recruitment Board, Bangalore. It is to be noted that the posts of drivers have been vacant in the railways for a long time. A senior official said that the Railway Board has fixed the duty of drivers to run trains for nine hours. But due to shortage, more than 31 percent drivers have to run trains for 10-12 hours. Eight percent of these drivers are running trains for more than 12 to 16 hours.
Drivers doing duty beyond the prescribed hours
As per the Railway Board's Safety Information Management System (SIMS) for the financial year 2021-22, drivers perform duties beyond the stipulated hours. In Indian Railways, 68.1 percent of railway drivers drive trains for up to nine hours. While 17.2 percent drivers drove the train for nine to 11 hours, 6.2 percent for 11 to 12 hours and eight percent drivers for more than 12 hours. As a rule, the driver cannot leave the engine until the train reaches its destination. A driver may have to work 16 to 18 hours or more.
Drivers suffer from fatigue and insomnia
Drivers do not get enough sleep due to longer duty hours and not getting enough rest. It increases fatigue, insomnia and mental stress. Due to which the drivers cannot drive the train with concentration. There is no lunch-dinner or toilet facility for the drivers.
