As Railways pulls down curtains on Liberalized Active Retirement Scheme for Guaranteed Employment for Safety Staff (LARSGESS), it dashed hopes of thousands of its employees who were eagerly waiting for exit route with matching induction of their wards in service of nation’s lifeline. Many were just a call away for appointment with Indian Railways till it freezed appointments after the court’s intervention. Recently, Railway Board communicated to the field units that they should dispose of pending cases of appointments under LARSGESS in light of Supreme Court judgement that upheld lower court’s contention that the scheme is ultra vires of constitution.

 

It was the Punjab and Haryana High Court that first struck a discordant note when someone challenged the legality of LARSGESS policy. The High Court had ruled that such swapping of post without going through qualifying criteria and exam as is applicable for general candidates is per se illegal. Just because someone is born to a railway servant, he or she cannot be directly given appointment by-passing the established test procedures. Before High Court’s decision Railways had inducted number of wards of railway servants and only when it expanded more workmen categories under Safety that it attracted undue attention, pointed out old timers.

 

Thereafter, as red flags were raised, Railways slowed down it speed of screening applications from employee eager to participate in LARSGESS. And post the court’s intervention the entire scheme went in limbo even as employees federations tried level best to get its re-started. Supreme Court, after lengthy hearing, gave its judgement during January 2021 and same was studied at Board and thereafter a communiqué was released in first week of March. A salient point of the scheme was that nominee of serving employee working in posts categorised as Safety would retire paying way for entry of former in the regular service of Indian Railways. When the LARSGESS was floated it covered only drivers and gangmen and its basis was with the advancing age physical fitness and reflexes of the employee of these categories deteriorate thereby causing a safety hazard.

 

Thereafter, other safety categories were also brought under its preview and the ward (Son/daughter) was considered for payment only in the lowest recruitment grade of the employee depending upon his/her eligibility and suitability but not in any other category. The minimum educational qualification for recruitment in the safety category posts having GP of Rs. 1800 under this scheme will be 10th pass or ITI or equivalent. The retirement of the employee under this scheme will be considered only if the ward of the employee is found suitable in all respects. The retirement of the employee and appointment of the ward should take place simultaneously.

 

The employee working in Operating Department namely Pointsman, Shuntman, Leverman, Gateman, Traffic Porters from Engineering Department- Gateman, Trolleyman, Keyman, under Signal and Telecommunication Department-Khalasi/Khalasi Helper redesignated as Helper Grade II & Grade I attached to ESM/MSM//TCM/WTM, Trolleyman from Mechanical (Running) Loco Pilots (Excluding Shunter), under Mechanical (C& W, DSL)/Electrical Khalasi/Khalasi Helper redesignated as Helper Grade II & Grade I assisting Loco Fitter/C&W Fitter/Fitters in Diesel Sheds and Train lighting & AC fitters, Crane Jamedars/Crane Khalasis were considered under LARSGESS.