Southern Railway plays with fate of candidates

Kollam: The candidates who are qualified in  the group-D examinations of  the Southern Railway are waiting for jobs while the railway has been attempting  to recruit retired hands in these posts.

There are  17,589 candidates in the list who have qualified for the posts, of whom 4,229 have been waiting for  appointment orders for the  last three years. Meanwhile, a circular issued by the railway recruitment board has ordered rearrangement of staff in the vacant posts under various railway divisions, including Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad, while the jobless candidates are at the receiving end.

Though the railway claims that there is no shortage of staff, a notification was allegedly issued in November to recruit retired hands in the 733 vacancies under Thiruvananthapuram division.

The notification for group-D job was issued in 2013 and the physical efficiency test was held in 2015. “Medical test and document verifications were conducted for nearly 12,000 candidates out of whom several did not join while some others quit  after joining. However, the authorities maintain that there exist no vacancies. Most of the  remaining candidates are facing over-age threat. “The authorities, instead of recruiting  from the list, are  appointing retired hands,” Joicy Jeejo, a candidate in the list, told DC.

The age limit for the appointments of retired hands was at first set at 60. The board later enhanced it  to 65. The validity of the scheme of re-engagement of retired employees has also been extended to December 1, 2019 from  September 14, 2018.

These recruitments even in safety departments also raise  concerns as the temporary staff could not be blamed for lapses and the railway authorities could find excuses in case of safety issues.