SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, July 31: The Railway Board has notified that employees working at Level-1 (Pay Grade ₹1800) can now apply for mutual transfers across offices, divisions, railways, and units within the same corresponding cadre.
The board’s notification clarifies that two employees in the same grade, whether posted in the same division or in different zones, can mutually exchange their positions and locations. This decision comes in response to persistent demands from employee unions.
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Demand Raised by Railway Federation
According to O.P. Sharma, Zonal Secretary of the All India Railway Federation (AIRF), the federation raised this issue during the Permanent Negotiating Machinery (PNM) meeting with the Railway Board last year.
The request was to allow and clearly define mutual transfers across departments, divisions, and zones to avoid confusion in implementation.
Although the Railway Board had issued a notification in 2018 allowing such transfers, officials at divisional and zonal levels were reportedly not processing mutual transfer applications, citing ambiguity in the order.
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Relief for Employees
The clarification is seen as a major relief for railway employees, as it offers flexibility in workplace location and department choice.
East Central Railway Karmchari Union (ECRKU) spokesperson N.K. Khawas said, “This clarification by the Railway Board has provided massive relaxation for employees. They can now give better service by exchanging positions to work in departments and divisions closer to their preferred locations.”
