MALIGAON: The Railway Recruitment Board of Indian Railways claimed on Friday to have provided employment successfully to 1.5 lakh individuals across the nation in the past year. The recruitment drive aimed to fill various vacancies within the railway zones, aligning with the broader vision of engaging the youth in diverse departments of the central government.
The government at the centre also claimed that in the last nine years, since 2014, Indian Railways witnessed an unprecedented recruitment surge, with a staggering 5 lakh individuals finding employment in various categories. Positions filled ranged from assistant loco pilots, station masters, and train managers to junior engineers, technicians, commercial clerks, track maintainers, pointsman, and assistants in departments such as mechanical, electrical, civil, signals and telecommunications.
The recruitment process embraced digitalisation, with computer-based tests conducted online. 2.37 crores candidates, comprising 1.26 crores for non-technical roles and 1.11 crores for RRC Group-D positions, participated in railway exams held between December 2020 and July 2021.
Highlighting the multifaceted impact of railway development, the construction of every 1 km track contributes to the generation of approximately 33,000 man-days of employment annually. This translates to an impressive 90.41 man-days per day per km. Over the past year, Indian Railways has achieved the construction of 5,600 km of tracks, resulting in the generation of more than 5 lakh man-days per day.
Beyond the railway track construction, Indian Railways has actively engaged in large-scale infrastructure projects, including overhead electrification (OHE), signalling, public and private sector units (PUs and PSUs), and station redevelopment initiatives. These efforts have collectively contributed to the creation of approximately 35 lakh jobs in associated feeder economic sectors in the last year.
Underlining the commitment to furthering infrastructure development, a substantial capital allocation of Rs 2.6 lakh crores has been earmarked for Indian Railways during the financial year 2023-24. As of September 2023, expenditures have reached Rs 150,444 crores, representing 58 per cent of the budget estimate. This signifies a notable 46 per cent increase compared to the same period in the previous year (Rs 102,881 crores or 43 per cent of the budget estimate up to September 2022).