The Western Railway Mazdoor Sangh protested the proposed privatisation and corporatisation of production units that the Railway Ministry recently announced. On Thursday, a meeting was organised in Surat by the union to create awareness about it. General secretary of Western Railway Mazdoor Sangh (WRMS) and vice-president of the National Federation of Indian Railwaymen, J G Mahurkar, accompanied by WRMS President Sharif Khan, were present at the meeting. Mahurkar said, “Recently there was a discussion in the Parliament where it was told that the Railway is doing excellent work and is earning profit. We want to know if the Indian Railway is doing good business, what is the need for privatisation. We are against the move to outsource and corporatise production units and sell railway colonies. Lakhs of staff leaving in the railway colonies will be homeless.” “Our NFIR is also opposing the handing over of Mail and Express passengers trains to private parties. The goal of the contractors and other agencies will be to maximise the profit without maintaining the expected quality,” he added. President of WRMS Sharif Khan said, “We have come down to Surat and met the railway employees and also told them about the proposed privatisation of Indian Railways. We are firm on our decision that will not allow it to happen.”
