Allotment of revised pay structure for Official Language Staff on Indian Railways

Allotment of Revised Pay Structure for Official Language Staff

Railway Board letter to NFIR regarding Allotment of revised pay structure for Official Language Staff in Indian Railways

Ministry of Railways has sent a letter to Secretary regarding grant of revised pay structure for Official Language Staff in Indian Railways

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
(RAILWAY BOARD)

No. PC-VI/2015/IR-N/1

New Delhi Dated: 18/02/2016

The General Secretary,
NFIR,
3, Chelmsford Road,
New Delhi – 110055

Sub: Allotment of revised pay structure for Official Language Staff on Indian Railways – reg.
Ref: NFIR’s letter No. IV/NFIR/Vlth CPC/Part 11 dated 02/02/2016.

Dear Sir,
    Undersigned is directed to refer to NFIR’ s letter under cited subject. In this context, copy of Ministry of Finance’s O.M  No.6(1)/E.III(B)/2011 dated 01.08.2012 is enclosed for ready reference.

DA:- As above

Yours faithfully,
For Secretary Railway Board

Download Railway Board letter No. PC-VI/2015/IR-N/1 dated 18.02.201

No.36(1)/E.III(B)/2011
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Expenditure

***

New Delhi, dated the lst August 2012

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject : Allotment of revised pay structure for Official Language staff of Indian Railways.

The undersigned is directed to refer to Ministry of Railways, Railway Board’s OM No.PC Vl/2008/1/5/2 dated 26.04.2012 on the subject mentioned above,

2. The matter has been examined. It has been agreed to upgrade the Grade Pay of Rajbhasha Sahayak Gr.II .from Rs.28,.00 in PB-1 to that of Grade pay of Rs.4200 in PB-2· and its merger with Rajbhasha Sahayak Gr.I and bringing the Rajbhasha Staff of Zonal Railways at par with their counterpart in CSOLS subject to the following conditions:

i) The future recruitment in the grade of Rajbhasha Sahayak would be made through 100% by direct recruitment

ii) The educational qualification of the entry Grade (Rajbhasha Sahayak) may be kept as Master’s Degree at par with Jr. Hindi Translator of CSOLS.

iii) The necessary amendments may be made in-the RRs and all future recruitment would be done based on such amended RRs.

iv) The grade of Rajbhasha Sahayak Gr.II would be phased out by placing the existing incumbents who possess the prescribed educational qualification in the higher grade and for those who do not possess the requisite qualification be placed in the higher grade only on completion of 6 years of regular service in the lower grade.

v) The benefit may ,be extended on prospective basis.

vi) Ministry of Railways satisfying itself that this will not have repercussions on any other categories or personnel.

3. This issues with the approval of JS (Pers.).

(Sunita Bansal)
Under Secretary to the Government of India

Confusion on EPF due to bad phrasing in Budget speech: Union Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia

Confusion on EPF due to bad phrasing in Budget speech: Union Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia

Union Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia today defended the proposal to tax Employee’s Provident Fund withdrawals, saying the intention was only to encourage investment in pension schemes, but the phrasing in the Budget speech caused the confusion.

“The entire thing happened not because of any illogicality in the step but due to the communication gap,” Adhia said at an interaction on Budget at the Ahmedabad Management Association here.

“In the budget we try to concise the speech by minimising the words. If it goes beyond 1 hour and 30 minutes it becomes boring. When we were reducing the number of words and when it came to this paragraph we chopped it off and that is how the problem occurred,” Adhia said.

“If we had paraphrased this paragraph differently then less confusion would have been created.”

The government has in fact continued with the policy of exempting EPF at all three stages (entry, during the scheme and exit), he argued.

“We have not said that we will be taxing remaining 60 per cent (of withdrawn EPF). The first 40 per cent is totally exempt. Regarding remaining 60 per cent the expectation is you should put it in some pension scheme….To encourage people to put their money in pension products we have said if you put the remaining 60 per cent in annuity scheme it will not be taxed….original corpus after your death will go to your heir and that will also be tax exempt,” he said.

“So in a way we have continued exempt, exempt, exempt scheme, but with a time period,” he said.

“We do not wish to get anything out of this, it is not a revenue mobilisation effort,” Adiha said.

“The Finance Minister has already said that he will make the announcement on it in a very short time (in Parliament)”, he noted.

The government could not raise the Income Tax exemption limit as when it was raised the last time from Rs 2 lakh to 2.5 lakh, it lost some 40 lakh tax payers, he said to another question.

PTI

Revision of Pension of Pre 2006 Pensioners who retired from posts where pay scales have been merged /upgraded: BPS writes to PM

BPS appeal to the Prime Minister Regarding Revision of Pension of Pre 2006 Pensioners – Reg: minimum pension for Pre 2006 Pensioners who retired from posts where pay scales have been merged /upgraded

BHARAT PENSIONERS’ SAMAJ

(All India Federation of Pensioners’ Associations)

(Registered No. 2023 of 1962-63)

Member International Federation on Ageing.

Tornto (Canada)

2/l3-A – LGF Backside, Jangpura – ‘A’.

New Delhi – 110014

Mobile : 09868488199

No SG/BPS/016/01

dt: 01.03.2016

Shri Narendra Modi,

Hon. Prime Minister of India

South Block, New Delhi.

Dear Sir,

Sub: Revision of Pension of Pre 2006 Pensioners – Reg: minimum pension for Pre 2006 Pensioners who retired from posts where pay scales have been merged /upgraded.

Refz-i) Resolution of GOI No. 38/37/08-P&PW (A) dated 29-8-08 & OM Dated 1-9-08,

ii) DOP&PW OM. F.No. 38/37/08-P&PW (A) dated 3-10-08, 14-10-08 & 11-2-09

iii) DOP&PW OM. F.No. 38/37/08-P&PW (A) dated 30-7-2015

We seek your benign intervention in the following matter of injustice with a section of Pre-2006 Central Government Pensioners:

1. Sixth Pay Commission recommended for “Modified Parity” between Pre-2006 & post-2006 Pensioners. Its Recommendations were accepted by the Cabinet vide Resolution dated 29-8-08 cited above, which inter-alia provided that “The fixation (of Pension) …… will be subject to the provision that the revised pension, in no case, shall be lower than 50% of the sum of the minimum of the pay in the pay band and the grade pay thereon corresponding to the pre-revised pay scale from which the pensioner had retired.” DOP&PW issued the orders thereon vide OM dated 1-9-08.

2. Later on, DOP&PW made changes in the above said orders (vide Para 5 of OM dated 11-2-09 cited above) & inter-alia laid down the condition that “benefit of up-gradation of posts subsequent to their retirement would not be admissible to the pre-2006 pensioners in this regard.”

3. The above said condition changed the very nature and content of the decision of the Cabinet notified vide Gazette Notification dated 29-8-2008 as the said Resolution did not provide for it.

4. DOP&PW’s OM dated 11-2-09 has since been quashed by the CAT New Delhi vide OA 655/2010 directed for fixation of Pension as per Resolution dated 29-8-2008.

5. All SLPs of the Government in this regard, against the judgements of the CAT and High Courts, had been conclusively been rejected by the Apex Court vide its judgement dated 17-3-15.

 a) DOP&PW vide OM dated 28-1-2013 ordered for Revision of Pension of Pre-20006 Pensioners to 50% of minimum of the Pay in the Pay Band plus Grade Pay of the Corresponding to Pre-revised scale w.e.f. 24-9-2012 whereas the decision of the Cabinet on 24-9-2012.

b) This order was modified and implemented w.e.f. 1-1-2006 vide DOP&PW OM dated 30-7-15 – as per Orders of the Supreme Court on 17-3-2015.

6. The order dated 30-7-15 only partially implemented the orders of the Courts and the orders are yet to be issued in respect of revision of Pension as per pay scales of merged/upgraded posts.

7. DOP&PW OM No. 38/77-A/09- P&PW(A) Pt. of 5.3.2015 (para 2) says “Hon’ CAT/PB in orders dt. 1.1 1 .201 1 directed that the past pensioners may be granted w.e.f. 1.1.2006 revised pension with ref. to Fitment Table for the Post, as adopted for pay fixation of serving employees.”

8. Delhi High Court in W.P.(C) 8012/2013 had held that “policy decision of the Government in the OM dated September 01 , 2008 to fix pension for all category of pensioners did not classify post of pre January 01, 2006 retirees and all were entitled to pension as per a common formula”

9. All the above said judgements have been conclusively upheld by the Supreme Court.

10. It is, therefore, requested that Pre-2006 Pensioners be given the benefit of upgraded Pay Band and Grade Pay of the post from which they retired so that, minimum pension be not lower than 50% of the pay in the revised pay band plus the grade pay corresponding to the post from which the pensioner retired.

Yours faithfully,

sd/-

Er.S.C.Maheshwari

Secy.Genl

Bharat Pensioners Samaj

Source: http://scm-bps.blogspot.in/2016/02/bps-appeal-to-prime-minister-regarding.html

Struggle Over 7th Pay Commission

Struggle Over 7th Pay Commission

In what has given a fresh impetus to distrust between the armed forces and the government an RTI has come to fore further exacerbating the ongoing agitation over implementation of one rank one pension policy.

“We thought it was the pay commission that was selling us short, but this RTI actually revealed it was the Ministry of Defence officials,” said an officer at army headquarters, requesting not to be named.

In their presentations to the pay commission the three services raised a number of issues, but when the pay commission sought the defence ministry’s comments and recommendation, the ministry negated most of the demands of the services, the officer said.

On the issue of pay to Lt Colonels and Colonels, a major cause of concern among the armed forces, the defence ministry said in its reply to RTI application, “The basis of this demand i.e. merger of rank pay in basic pay was examined in a detailed matter by the Pranab Mukherjee committee report and the same was not accepted hence the case is not supported.”

Similarly, on the demand for equal work for armed forces personnel and civilians working side by side, the ministry said the concept of equal pay and equal work in this case is not feasible since the service conditions and the nature of job of services personnel and defence civilians are totally different.

On the issue of parity between civilians and central armed police forces, the ministry said that the army being a fighting force has its own command and control functions in its hierarchy and hence no comparison can be made with the civilians.

The ministry’s views, when read alongside the recommendations of the pay commission, do little to win the confidence of the armed forces, a senior army officer said, especially since the hardship allowances, disability allowances and basic pay scales of Colonels and Brigadiers have been reduced as compared to their counterparts in IAS, IPS and other allied services.

“I will have young officers and men fighting heavily armed terrorists in counter-insurgency areas and getting 5,000-10,000 rupees for their risk, while a bureaucrat posted at Guwahati will get five times for his hardship,” the officer said.

The anomalies of the Sixth Pay commission have been left unaddressed by the Seventh Pay Commission to further disadvantage of the armed forces, he said.

Read more at:http://economictimes.indiatimes.com

Deduction of Income Tax on withdrawal of Provident Fund 60%

Deduction of Income Tax on withdrawal of Provident Fund 60%

NATIONAL COUNCIL (STAFF SIDE)
Joint Consultative Machinery for Central Government Employees
13-C, Ferozshah Road, New Delhi – 110001
E Mail: nc.jchm.np@gmail.com

No. NC-JCM/2016

Dated:- 1st March, 2016

To
The Hon’ble Finance Minister,
Government of India,
North Block,
New Delhi.

Dear Sir,
Sub: Deduction of Income Tax on withdrawal of P.F. 60%

We are deeply shocked to learn about imposing of tax on withdrawal of P.F.(Provident Fund) which is our hard earn money which used to be utilized in all emergencies for medical, educational, building of house, marriage of daughters etc.

Imposition of tax on that had created all round agitation among govt. employees.

On behalf of National Council/JCM it is very humbly requested that this tax proposal should be withdrawn immediately to stop the mental agony of government employees.

I hope Central Govt. will not give any chance of serious agitation on this issue and will not disturb industrial peace as a whole.
Thanking you ,

Yours faithfully,
sd/-
(Shiv Gopal Mishra)

Source: www.ncjcmstaffside.com

Raising flag every morning in KV Schools – KVS Orders including Do’s and Dont’s

Raising flag every morning in KV Schools – KVS Orders including Do’s and Dont’s

KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA SANGATHAN
18, Institutional Area,
Shaheed Jeet Singh Marg,
New Delhi-110016

No. F.11029/2014/KVS(HQ)/Misc./401-33

Dated : 24-02-2016

The Deputy Commissioner,
Kendriaya Vidyalaya Sangathan
All Regional Offices and ZIETs

Subject: Strict compliance of the provisions contained In the Flag Code of India, 2002 and Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 – reg.

Madam/Sir,
As you are aware that the National flag of India Is a symbol of honour and freedom for the country. It is of great significance to us. We should respect and know everything about our national flag.

You are directed to ensure raising the flag every morning and its lowering before sunset on the buildings of Kendriya Vidyalayas and regional offices. Further the Principals of your regions may be directed to position the flag post at prominent places preferably in the Morning Assembly Area so that all the students shall be able to salute the Tricolour every day.

Besides the following Do’s and Don’ts should also be observed to honour the National Flag :-

Do’s
• When the flag is hoisted, it should be flat and horizontal.
• Saffron panel should be on the top.
• When flag is hoisted in open, it should be flown from sunrise to sunset.
• Always hoist the flag briskly and lower it slowly and ceremoniously.
• All people should face the flag and stand at attention, when the flag is being hoisted or lowered.

Don’ts
• Damaged or crumbled flag should not be hoisted or displayed.
• It should not be flown half-mast (represents depressed and mourning).
• Any other flag or emblem should not be placed either above or right to the national flag.
• It should not be used as a decoration or banner In any form.
• It should not be used as a costume or uniform.
• It should not be used as a toy by children.
• It could not be printed or embroidered upon handkerchiefs, dresses or on cushion.
• After cultural or sport events, flags made of paper or any materials should not be thrown or discarded on the ground. Damage or Soiled flag, paper made flags should be disposed in private with the dignity of the flag.
• No one should bum, mutilate, deface, defiles, disfigures, destroys, tramples upon or otherwise shows disrespect to or brings into contempt (whether by words, either spoken or written, or by acts).
• It is advisable not to use plastic tags as they are non-biodegradable and harmful to the atmosphere.

You are, therefore, requested to ensure compliance of the Flag Code (enclosed) in all Regional Offices as well a Kendriya Vidyalayas.

Yours faithfully
sd/-
(U.N.Khaware)
Addl Commissioner (Acad.)

Authority: www.kvsangathan.nic.in

OROP Pension as per OROP Tables may credit end of this month

OROP Pension as per OROP Tables may credit end of this month

Implementation of OROP

Dear Veterans,
Government vide notifications dated 07 Nov 15 and 03 Feb 16 has promulgated the orders along with revised pensions under the OROP scheme. The detailed modalities have also been promulgated vide PCDA (Pensions) , Allahabad circular no 555 dated 04 Feb 16.

During a meeting chaired by Secretary/ Dept of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, the salient irregularities on OROP tables (noted on preliminary examination) were highlighted by the Services and the representatives of the recognised veterans associations. Accordingly, Pension Disbursing Authorities (PDAs) have been instructed to credit the revised pensions by 31 Mar 16, post verification of the pensioner through “Bio metric attendance System” using Aadhaar card, physical attendance at the bank, or attendance using http://www.jeevanpramaan.gov.in, where applicable.

In addition, it is also requested that veterans may confirm with their PDAs that their respective PPOs are complete in all respects. In case any data is incomplete, the same may be informed to Naval Pension Office (NAVPEN) so as to enable the concerned authorities to initiate suitable action for updating the PPOs.

The information of Govt notification on OROP and OROP tables issued on 03 Feb 16 has been uploaded on Indian Navy website.

It is requested that this may be given wide publicity including to family pensioners

Team DESA
Source : https://desanavy.wordpress.com/

Education Qualifications for Railway Post Graduate Teacher

Education Qualifications for Railway Post Graduate Teacher

Railway Board has prescribed Education Qualifications for Recruitment or Promotion of Railway Post Graduate Teacher

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
(RAILWAY BOARD)

RBE No.21/2016

No.E(P&A)I-2014/PS-5/PE-4 436/26/2/16

Dated 22.02.2016

Sub:- Educational qualifications for recruitment/promotion of Post Graduate Teacher.
Ref:- Board’s letter No.E(P&A)I-87 /PS-5/PE-9 dated 4.10.1989 and Para No. 178 of IREM Vol-I (Revised Edition 1989).

**************

The minimum qualifications for recruitment/promotion of Post Graduate / Teachers working in Railway Schools have been laid. down in Board’s above referred letter. The issue of updating these qualifications at par with those now laid down by Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti for recruitment/promotion of PGTs in their schools was under consideration of Board.

2. It has been decided that henceforth the essential minimum qualifications for recruitment/promotion of PGTs in Railway Schools will be as under:

Essential:
A Two years’ Integrated Post Graduate M.Sc Course of Regional College of Education of NCERT in the concerned subject;

Or

Master Degree from a recognized University with at least 50% marks aggregate in the following subjects:

a) PGT (English) – English
b) PGT (Hindi) – Hindi or Sanskrit with Hindi as one of the subjects at Graduate level.
c) PGT (Maths) – Mathematics/ Applied Mathematics
d) PGT (Physics) – Physics I Electronics/ Applied Physics/ Nuclear Physics, e) PGT (Chemistry) – Chemistry/ Bio Chem.
f) PGT (Biology) – Botany/ Zoology/ Life Sciences/Bio Sciences/ Genetics/ Micro
Biology/Bio Technology/ Molecular Bio/Plant Physiology· provided they have studied Botany and Zoology at Graduation level.
g) PGT (History) – History
h) PGT Geography – Geography
i) PGT (Commerce) – Master’s Degree in Commerce. However, holder of Degrees of M.Com in Applied/Business Economics shall not be eligible.
j) PGT (Economics) – Economics/ Applied Economics/ Business Economics.

B. B.Ed. or equivalent degree from recognized university

C. Proficiency in teaching in Hindi and English media .

Desirable: – Knowledge of computer applications.

3. The above order will take effect from the date of issue of this letter. Selection already initiated would be conducted and finalized based on the notifications already issued.

4. The receipt of this letter may kindly be acknowledged.

(S R Kajaujia)
Joint Director, E(P&A)
Railway Board

Download Railway Board Circular RBE No.21/2016 No.E(P&A)I-2014/PS-5/PE-4 436/26/2/16 dated 22.02.2016

Recovery of wrongful / excess payment made to Government Employees

Recovery of wrongful / excess payment made to Government Employees

Recovery from employees belonging to Group ‘C’ and Group ‘D’ service, and Recovery from retired employees, are some of the situations of hardship as observed by Hon’ble Supreme Court

Department of Personnel & Training issued an OM for recovery of wrongful / excess payments made to Government servants in view of the law declared by Courts

F.No. 18/03/2015-Estt. (Pay-I)

Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Department of Personnel & Training

New Delhi, the 2nd March, 2016

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Sub: Recovery of wrongful / excess payments made to Government servants.

The undersigned is directed to refer to this Department’s OM No.18/26/2011-Estt (Pay-I) dated 6th February, 2014 wherein certain instructions have been issued to deal with the issue of recovery of wrongful / excess payments made to Government servants in view of the law declared by Courts, particularly, in the case of Chandi Prasad Uniyal And Ors. vs. State of Uttarakhand And ors., 2012 AIR SCW 4 742, (2012) 8 SCC 417. Para 3(iv) of the OM inter-alia provides that recovery should be made in all cases of overpayment barring few exceptions of extreme hardships.

2. The issue has subsequently come up for consideration before the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of State of Punjab & Ors vs Rafiq Masih (White Washer) etc in CA No.1152 7 of 2014 (Arising out of SLP(C) No.11684 of 2012) wherein Hon’ble Court on 18.12.2014 decided a bunch of cases in which monetary benefits were given to employees in excess of their entitlement due to unintentional mistakes committed by the concerned competent authorities, in determining the emoluments payable to them, and the employees were not guilty of furnishing any incorrect information / misrepresentation fraud, which had led the concerned competent authorities to commit the mistake of making the higher payment to the employees. The employees were as innocent as their employers in the wrongful determination of their inflated emoluments. The Hon’ble Supreme Court in its judgment dated 18th December, 2014 ibid has, inter-alia, observed as under:

“7. Having examined a number of judgments rendered by this Court, we are of the view, that orders passed by the employer seeking recovery of monetary benefits wrongly extended to employees, can only be interfered with, in cases where such recovery would result in a hardship of a nature, which would far outweigh, the equitable balance of the employer’s right to recover. In other words, interference would be called for, only in such cases where, it would be iniquitous to recover the payment made. In order to ascertain the parameters of the above consideration, and the test to be applied, reference needs to be made to situations when this Court exempted employees from such recovery, even in exercise of its jurisdiction under Article 142 of the Constitution of India. Repeated exercise of such power, “for doing complete justice in any cause would establish that the recovery being effected was iniquitous, and therefore, arbitrary. And accordingly, the interference at the hands of this Court.”

“10. In view of the aforestated constitutional mandate, equity and good conscience, in the matter of livelihood of the people of this country, has to be the basis of all governmental actions. An action of the State, ordering a recovery from an employee, would be in order, so long as it is not rendered iniquitous to the extent, that the action of recovery would be more unfair, more wrongful, more improper, and more unwarranted, than the corresponding right of the employer, to recover the amount. Or in other words, till such time as the recovery would have a harsh and arbitrary effect on the employee, it would be permissible in law. Orders passed in given situations repeatedly, even in exercise of the power vested in this Court under Article 142 of the Constitution of India, will disclose the parameters of the realm of an action of recovery (of an excess amount paid to an employee) which would breach the obligations of the State, to citizens of this country, and render the action arbitrary, and therefore, violative of the mandate contained in Article 14 of the Constitution of India.”

3. The issue that was required to be adjudicated by the Hon’ble Supreme Court was whether all the private respondents, against whom an order-of recovery (of the excess amount) has been made, should be exempted in law, from the reimbursement of the same to the employer. For the applicability of the instant order, and the conclusions recorded by them thereinafter, the ingredients depicted in paras 2& 3 of the judgment are essentially indispensable.

4. The Hon’ble Supreme Court while observing that it is not possible to postulate all situations of hardship which would govern employees on the issue of recovery, where payments have mistakenly been made by the employer, in excess of their entitlement has summarized the following few situations, wherein recoveries by the employers would be impermissible in law:-

(i) Recovery from employees belonging to Class-III and Class-IV service (or Group ‘C’ and Group ‘D’ service).

(ii) Recovery from retired employees, or employees who are due to retire within one year, of the order of recovery.

(iii) Recovery from employees, when the excess payment has been made for a period in excess of five years, before the order of recovery is issued.

(iv) Recovery in cases where an employee has wrongfully been required to discharge duties of a higher post, and has been paid accordingly, even though he should have rightfully been required to work against an inferior post.

(v) In any other case, where the Court arrives at the conclusion, that recovery if made from the employee, would be iniquitous or harsh or arbitrary to such an extent, as would far outweigh the equitable balance of the employer’s right to recover.

5. The matter has, consequently, been examined in consultation with the Department of Expenditure and the Department of Legal Affairs. The Ministries / Departments are advised to deal with the issue of wrongful / excess payments made to Government servants in accordance with above decision of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in CA No.11527 of 2014 (arising out of SLP (C) No.11684 of 2012) in State of Punjab and others etc vs Rafiq Masih (White Washer) etc. However, wherever the waiver of recovery in the above-mentioned situations is considered, the same may be allowed with the express approval of Department of Expenditure in terms of this Department’s OM No.18/26/2011-Estt (Pay-I) dated 6th February, 2014.

6. In so far as persons serving in the Indian Audit and Accounts Department are concerned, these orders are issued with the concurrence of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

7. Hindi version will follow.

(A.K. Jain)

Deputy Secretary to the Government of India

Download DoPT OM F.No. 18/03/2015-Estt. (Pay-I) dated 02.03.2016

Indian Railways Dedicates two More New Trains in the Service of the Nation

Indian Railways Dedicates two More New Trains in the Service of the Nation

Indian Railways will work to the maximum extent possible to provide better rail transportation to the people of India : Suresh Prabhu

The Indian Railways has been working effortlessly to connect every part of the country with rail network. In this direction, the Minister of Railways, Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu, today i.e. on 04.03.2016 flagged off two new trains in the service of the nation through video-conferencing. The first one is a new Express train viz. 15623/15624 Kamakhya-Bhagat Ki Kothi (Jodhpur) Express(Weekly) and the second one is a new Passenger service viz. 75713/75714 Siliguri-New Coochbehar DEMU (6 days a week) on the newly constructed New Coochbehar-Changrabandha section. Minister of State for Railways Shri Manoj Sinha was especially present on the occasion. At New Delhi end, Chairman, Railway Board along with Board Members and senior officers were present. Various Public Representatives and Senior Officials were also present at New Coochbehar Station and Kamkhya Station.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu said that this was a long-standing demand of the people of North-Eastern region to provide train services in these areas. He said that the connectivity through DEMU train between New Coochbehar & Changrabandha in West Bengal will benefit all sections of the society including daily-passengers and businessmen. He said that the other train service i.e. the Kamakhya-Bhagat Ki Kothi Express will not only connect North India from North East India but will also help lakhs & lakhs of pilgrims who come to visit Maa Kamakhya Temple to pay their tribute. He said that this train will reach Bhagat Ki Kothi Station by passing 7 States of India. He said that this is a historic day and Indian Railways will work to the maximum extent possible to provide better rail transportion to the people of India.

BACKGROUNDER : -

The schedule including timings, composition, stoppages etc. of these train services are as under:
Introduction:

1. 15623/15624 Kamakhya-Bhagat Ki Kothi Express (Weekly)

15623 Bhagat Ki Kothi- Kamakhya Express		↓Station↑	15624 Kamakhya-Bhagat Ki Kothi Express
Arrival	Departure		Arrival	Departure
-	15.25	BGKT	22.00	-
04.30	05.00	DLI	10.20	10.40
03.30	03.40	PNBE	13.20	13.30
22.55	-	KYQ	-	17.15

• Days of run: Ex-BGKT- Tuesday & Ex-KYQ- Friday

• Stoppages: Merta Road jn., Degana, Khatu, Chhoti Khatu, Didwana, Ladnun, Sujangarh, Churu, Sadulpur, Luharu, Mahendragarh, Rewari, Gurgaon, Delhi Cantt, Delhi Jn., Ghaziabad, Moradabad, Bareilly, Lucknow, Ayodhaya, Shahganj, Faizabad, Varanasi,  Mughalsarai, Buxar, Ara, Patna, Barauni, Khagaria, Naugachia, Katihar, Sonaili, Kishanganj, New Jalpaiguri, New Coochbehar, New Alipurduar, Kokrajhar, New Bongaigaon Jn., Barpeta Road, Rangiya.

• Composition: LWLRRM-2, LWACCN-3, LWACCW-2, LWSCN-6, LS-6=19 coaches

• Primary Maintenance: Kamakhya

• Nature of Service: Express

1. 75713/75714 Siliguri-New Coochbehar DEMU (6 days a week)
   

75713 Siliguri-New Coochbehar DEMU (6 days a week)		↓Station↑	75714 New Coochbehar- Siliguri DEMU (6 days a week)
Arrival	Departure		Arrival	Departure
-	15.25	BGKT	22.00	-
04.30	05.00	DLI	10.20	10.40
03.30	03.40	PNBE	13.20	13.30
22.55	-	KYQ	-	17.15

Ø Days of run: Ex-SGUJ- 6 days a week & Ex-NCB- 6 days a week (Except Sunday)
Ø Stoppages: New Mal Jn., at all stations/halts in between New Mal Jn. and New Coochbehar
Ø Composition: DPC-2, TC-4, DTC-2 = 08 coaches
Ø Primary Maintenance: Siliguri
Ø Nature of Service: Passenger service (DEMU)

PIB