Railways station masters on hunger strike
Thousands of station masters of Indian Railways are on hunger strike today. The 24-hour hunger strike has been called by the All India Station Masters Association (AISMA) citing discrimination against station masters in the seventh pay commission implemented by the government. Seventh pay commission limits the scope of promotion for station masters, the protesters have claimed.
According to AISMA, station masters are entitled to only one promotion in their entire career under seventh pay commission after joining the Indian Railways at the entry level. There is no mobility for the cadres of station masters, it says.
Protesting station masters have said that they have just two pay scales - Rs 4,200 and Rs 4,600. This means that they can get only one promotion in their entire career. The Rs 4,800 pay scale is just a financial upgradation, they said.
The AISMA has demanded that the benefits of the third Modified Assured Career Progression Scheme (MACPS), provision of stress and safety allowance to station masters among other things. A delegation of AISMA met Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain yesterday in New Delhi. They presented their charter of demand.
Meanwhile, the Railways has issued an advisory asking the Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel to take precautionary measures in coordination with local authorities and state administration to avoid any untoward incident and ensure the smooth running of trains.
AISMA said that it would not disrupt the train services and the station masters would work as per their schedule.
