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Bhubaneswar, July 8: Representatives of the East Coast Railway Engineers Association (ECoREA) and the All India Railway Engineers Federation (AIREF) have urged the 8th Central Pay Commission to address long-standing issues related to the pay structure and career progression of railway engineers.
Submitting a memorandum to the Commission, AIREF Secretary General B.P. Dash said railway engineers have faced pay degradation since the 6th Central Pay Commission despite their critical role in ensuring railway safety and infrastructure development. He alleged that technical and safety cadres have been placed at a disadvantage compared to non-technical employees in terms of pay and career benefits.
Dash demanded restoration of the pay structure that existed up to the 5th Central Pay Commission and sought Group 'B' status for railway engineers, similar to engineering cadres in other Central government departments.
He also called for increasing the share of Group 'B' posts in the Railways from the current 0.29 per cent to the national average of 7.5 per cent to improve promotion opportunities and career growth.
AIREF Organising Secretary General Sivakant Singh highlighted the issue of career stagnation among railway engineers and urged the Commission to introduce structural reforms to ensure timely promotions and better service conditions.
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