The restructuring will ensure end of departmentalism, Piyush Goyal said (File)
The Union Cabinet has approved a major overhauling of the organisational structure of Indian Railways, a move that will end "departmentalism", Minister Piyush Goyal informed on Tuesday. The centre has decided to restructure Railway Board - which governs the railways - by downsizing the number of members from 8 to 5.
Instead of Railway Board members for traffic, rolling stock, traction and engineering, the newly constituted board will have five members which will include Members for Operation, Business Development, Infrastructure and Finance among others, he said.
The existing eight Group A services of the Railways - including Engineering, Traffic, Mechanical and Electrical - will be clubbed into a central service called Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS), Mr Goyal announced.
"The restructuring will ensure end of departmentalism and smooth operations," Mr Goyal said, adding the reform will end working in silos in Railways.
"The Unification of services will end 'departmentalism', promote smooth working of Railways, expedite decision making, create a coherent vision for organisation and promote rational decision making," Press Information Bureau Chief KS Dhatwalia tweeted.
"Railway board will no longer be organised on departmental lines, and replaced with leaner structure organised on functional lines," he wrote.
"Railway Board to be headed by Chairman Railway Board (CRB) who will be the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with 4 Members and some Independent Members," he added.
The unification of services has been recommended by various committees for reforming Railways and has the "overwhelming" support and consensus of Railway officers, he said.
Restructuring of the Railway Board was also recommended by the Bibek Debroy Committee on Indian Railways in 2015. The panel had said in its report that the Indian Railways' centralised structure and departmentalisation was adversely affecting the Railways' work culture and narrowing its approach to department-specific goals.
With inputs from PTI