Bihar Rly staff shun Hajipur option

The staff proposed to be shifted comprise 43 per cent of Eastern Railway’s existing staff strength of 6,900.

Employees had been asked on July 9 to exercise their option by September 15. ‘‘The mood is contrary to the passions one witnesses over bifurcation,’’ one official said, pointing out that even employees from Bihar are reluctant to move to Hajipur.

‘‘It is obvious that the plan is going to meet roadblocks. Frankly, even shifting from Gorakhpur to Hajipur would not be a viable option, let alone Kolkata,’’ said one employee from Patna working in Kolkata for a decade.

The offer this time comes with a ‘‘bait.’’ Railway sources said those willing to exercise their option by September 15, stand the prospect of better ‘‘seniority status’’ compared to those giving their option after October 1, 2002.

But the delayed option for transfer to Hajipur on or after October 1, 2002 will be ‘‘treated as transfer on request on bottom seniority in recruitment grades, subject to conditions governing such transfers being fulfilled’’.

It is not only men that Nitish Kumar is shopping for from Kolkata. If plans are not scuttled, engineers in Bengal at Kharagpur workshop of South Eastern Railway are working hard to produce a glamorous, high-tech and luxurious railway ‘‘observation car’’ whose ultimate destination might be Hajipur. Informed sources said the ‘‘observation car’’ earlier meant for the GM SER’s saloon is being modified to give it a touch of ‘‘uniqueness.’’

During a visit to Kharagpur, it was learnt that lakhs have been spent on experiments with the car. Sources said the car will be sent to Santragachi workshop of the SER from where it will head for East Central Rly HQ at Hajipur later.

‘‘The amount of care and spending that’s being done are obvious indications of the people who will use it,’’ said a member of the railway men’s congress in Kharagpur. Work was completed with break neck speed and a few trial runs have been held between Kharagpur and Balasore.

But it developed problems and has been sent back to the workshop. The car will have powerful ACs, costly curtains and floor mats and various other gadgets. ‘‘It’s the ultimate luxury on railway wheels,’’ said an official.

Rajiv Bishnoi, the chief works manager at the workshop, however, scotched rumours that the car is a ‘‘gift’’ from SER to the minister. But when asked if it is going to Hajipur, Bishnoi replied ‘‘it is not within my knowledge’’. Asked about the cost of refurbishing the car, Bishnoi said that it is difficult to average out individual items.