Transfer: RBE No.123/1996 – To New Railway Zones – Determination of Seniority
No.E(NG)I-96/TR/36, dated 06.12.1996
Sub: Calling of options from staff to serve in the headquarters of the new Railway Zones – Determination of seniority of staff on transfer to the New Zones.
1. Please refer to this Ministry’s letter No.96/E&R/700/1, dated 16.09.1996 conveying the Ministry’s decision to set up six new Railway Zones as per details given in Board’s D.O. letters No.96/E&R/700/1, dated 08.10.1996, addressed to OSDs, East Central, East Coast and North Central Railways.
1.1 Necessary instructions for transfer of posts from headquarters offices of the existing Zonal Railways to the headquarters offices of the New Zonal Railways and for creation for posts by new Zonal Railways for their headquarters offices, are being issued separately.
2. For the purpose of manning of posts in the New Zones at their headquarters offices, the Board desire that options may be called for from the staff as follows:-
(i) From non-gazetted staff working at the headquarters offices of the existing Zonal Railways from whose jurisdiction the new Zones have been carved out, for being transferred to the headquarters offices of the respective New Zonal Railways.
(ii) From the non-gazetted staff working in the affected Divisions of exisung Zonal Railways as follows:-
(a) whether they would like to continue to work wherever they are working at present; or
(b) proceed to the headquarters offices of the respective New Zonal Railways.
Note: Non-gazetted staff of affected Divisions in categories/ cadres controlled by headquarters will have the option to remain in the existing Zonal Railway or join the New Railway for which they must exercise option.
(iii) From non-gazetted staff working in other Divisions of existing zonal railways for working in the respective new zonal railways; and
(iv) From non-gazetted staff of all zonal railways/ Production Units for working in the headquarters office of one of the new zonal railways against shortfall, if any.
2.1 Preference for transfer on option to the new zonal railways should be given in the order as indicated in para 2 above.
2.2 Staff in workshops, stores depots and RPF are not included in the scheme of calling options for transfer. There is, however, no bar for the clerical staff posted in workshops and stores depots, borne in Divisional seniority, exercising their option along with other staff of respective Divisions for the new zonal railways.
3. It should also be made clear to the staff that those who opt for transfer should be prepared for transfer accordingly. However, the mere fact of their exercising an option does not necessarily imply that their transfers would be automatically effected. It is essentially the efficient working of the headquarters offices of the new zones which will have to be kept in view in deciding the transfer of staff to the new zonal railways.
4. Staff should be asked to exercise their option within a period of three months.
4.1 The options received may be forwarded to the OSDs of the new zonal railways for further necessary action. List of optees should be forwarded category wise, grade wise and strictly in order of seniority. This entails commitment to spare the staff for transfer to the new zonal railway as and when required by the concerned new zonal railways.
5. The seniority of staff coming on transfer from one Railway to another should be determined in each grade on the basis of non-fortuitous length of service in the grade, as on the date of new zonal railway becoming operational which will be declared in due course ensuring that the inter-se seniority of staff absorbed in the same unit is not disturbed.
5.1 It should also be ensured that options are accepted from staff for posting only in a grade in which he/she is already working on regular basis after completion of due process of selection/ suitability test.
6. The cadres in the headquarters offices of the new zonal railways will remain open till the date of the new zonal railway becoming operational and till then the staff transferred thereto will continue to progress in their original cadres. Accordingly, in the new zonal railways, normally no promotion should be resorted to and in case any promotion is given to the transferred staff the same will be treated as ad hoc. The new zonal railways will also not resort to any direct recruitment till the date of the new zones becoming operational and will meet their requirement as it arises only from the optees.
7. Unoperated portion of panels in respect of selection posts, if any, existing in the residual zonal railways on the date of new zones becoming operational, will not be operated in the residual zonal railways. The same will be scrapped and new panels will be formed only for the portion continuing in the jurisdiction of the residual railways.
8. For the purpose of formation of cadres for the new Divisions which are to be formed by the existing zonal railways either for being transferred to the new zonal railways or for being added to its jurisdiction as part of reorganisation, the action regarding calling for options from staff may be taken by the concerned zonal railways broadly following the principles as indicated in this letter.
Download Railway Board Circular RBE No.123/1996
Forward reference ⇒ RBE No.126/1998, RBE No.186/2002, RBE No.187/2002, RBE No.188/2002, RBE No.187/2003,