Warangal: Is the Kazipet Railway Sub-Division indeed losing its sheen? It appears so if you watched the developments closely for a decade-and-a-half. Despite the fact that the Kazipet Loco Running Depot was one of the biggest in the South Central Railway, it’s said that the authorities, under pressure from some quarters, have been given a raw deal. The employees in Kazipet say that it was due to the highhandedness of some Andhra officials.
More than 500 employees have been relocated to Vijayawada in the last 15 years or so. Some of them were under the premise of nativity or optional. A small loco-running depot in Vijayawada has now become a big one at the cost of Kazipet.
Currently, the employee strength at Kazipet is now 529 against the sanctioned number of 709. Kazipet loco running depot always remained at the receiving end catering to the employee needs of Vijayawada.
Against this backdrop, the Railway sanctioned 184 new postings four days ago. Surprisingly, all of them have been allotted to Vijayawada loco running depot. Invariably, it angered the employees working in Kazipet.
Speaking to The Hans India, Telangana Railway JAC Convener Devulapally Raghavender said, “The Kazipet loco running depot has been facing a staff crunch over the years. Citing, various reasons, the authorities shifted a large number of employees to Vijayawada. But there was no effort to fill the vacant posts in Kazipet.” It’s cumbersome for the employees working in Vijayawada. Despite that, the authorities continued their biased approach. “It’s really taxing for the employees to work long hours. If the staff is located in Kazipet, it’s easy for them to work,” Raghavender said.
“It’s not a fair deal to Kazipet which is known as the gateway between the north and south and also the highest revenue earner in the Secunderabad Division of the South Central Railway,” Raghavender said. It’s a strange development when at a time a rail coach factory is coming up at Ayodhyapuram adjacent to Kazipet. Meanwhile, the politicians irrespective of their party lines are preparing for an agitation to exert pressure on the Railways.
