Railways to hire at least 100 retired officers to fill up vacant zone posts

New Delhi: The Indian Railways (IR) will be hiring retired officers to fill vacant posts in the zones, officials aware of the development said on Friday. According to the official, the IR has designed a pattern called the re-arrangement scheme for the retired officers, which will remain valid until December 2026. 

IR wants to ensure continuity of uninterrupted operations and services, an IR official close to the development said.

“The general managers of each zone have been asked to hire retired officers as per the requirements. At least 100 of them will be hired under the re-arrangement scheme,” he added.

The maximum age limit for re-engagement is set at 65 years.

“This scheme is a strategic move by the Railway Board to leverage the experience and expertise of retired officers in addressing critical issues, ensuring that the railways continue to function smoothly while experienced expertise can contribute in a more positive and productive way,” a railway board official said.

“We have made a clear framework for re-engagement, ensuring that the process is transparent, fair, and in line with the operational requirements of the Indian Railways,” he added.

The board has authorised general managers to re-engage railway officers who have retired from the junior to mid-senior levels, said the official.

Speaking about remuneration, a zonal-level official said that the re-engaged officers will receive a fixed monthly remuneration, calculated by deducting their basic pension from the last pay drawn at the time of retirement. 

“This remuneration will remain unchanged throughout the contract period. There will be no annual increment or percentage increase in the remuneration, nor will any Dearness Allowance (DA) be provided,” he said.

When asked if the scheme would attract the retired officers to join the IR as consultants, a former official said, “We cannot term this scheme attractive enough for many of us to apply for. However, it may interest some.”

The scope of work for re-engaged officers will be defined by the general managers of zones. These terms will be advertised as part of the application process. 

“They will be assigned responsibilities such as inspections, supervision, drawing, etc. However, they will not be made in charge of units like branch officers in divisions, nor will they be given independent charge in the construction unit. Additionally, they will not have any financial or D&AR powers and cannot issue safety certificates,” the zonal official concluded.