Kerala: Railway bypasses local recruitment norm

Thiruvananthapuram: The Railways has reportedly bypassed the local recruitment board and posted for loco pilots recruited elsewhere. They posted 13 assistant loco pilots from the list of Railway Recruitment Board Bengaluru for the Palakkad division. Normally, Railway Recruitment Board Thiruvananthapuram makes appointments for Palakkad division to ensure regional representation, All India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA) zonal organising secretary P N Soman said.

These loco pilots are now being given learning road training at Kozhikode and Mangaluru depots under the Palakkad division. "The modus operandi was to create a preplanned shortage. Even if someone approached the court, they would argue that such postings were in an emergency," he told DC. "The issue is not only related to regional representation but some relations with the safety of locomotives. The lack of communications caused by lack of knowledge of the local language may lead to accidents. This aspect is also being ignored."

The same was the case with special recruitment to the post of scheduled caste and scheduled tribe. This was because the posts were advertised only in newspapers in Hindi region. No advertisements were given in Malayalam newspapers, Mr Soman said. When we contacted a senior official of the RRB, then the answer given was that Malayalis do not apply for last grade posts. However, the answer was not convincing since graduates and postgraduates from the state are seen applying for such posts for PSC recruitments in the state, said Mr Soman said.