LUMDING, June 20 � The 58th annual conference of the NF Railway Mazdoor Union was held here on June 18.
The programme began with flag hosting by Bhajan Chandra Dey, district general secretary, NF Railway Mazdoor Union. This was followed by a bike rally and the reception of Rakhal Dasgupta, president, All India Railwaymen�s Federation (AIRF) and the general secretary, NF Railway Mazdoor Union, Ramani Barman, central president, NF Railway Mazdoor Union and a former Education Minister, among others. The delegates� session was held from 3 to 5 pm.
The open session was conducted by Subhash Das, convener, Lumding division. Members of the NF Railway Mazdoor Union, including its secretary Swapan Kumar Dey, assistant general secretary Bhajan Ch Dey, joint general secretary Ashish Biswas, president Ramani Barman and general secretary Rakhal Das Gupta spoke on the occasion. Ashish Biswas vehemently attacked Prime Minister Modi terming him a �bania � who knows business well� and that he has agreed to set up the Rail Tariff Regulatory Authority of India, proposing to virtually hand over the management of the Indian Railways to a new entity ( privatisation). Ramani Barman reminded the Modi Government about the Indira Gandhi regime, which failed in 1974-75 due to dictatorship and an anti-people rule.
Rakhal Dasgupta spoke on a lot of issues. He criticised the Land Acquisition ordinance (issued for the third time), privatisation of railway tracks, carrying of goods, bid to withdraw concession for students and senior citizens and high train fares. In this connection, he said that all the trade unions have taken an oath to undertake an agitational programme on an all-India basis against the Central Government. He said that without going through the causes of congestion in the existing railway system, the high-level railway restructuring committee, the Rail Tariff Regulatory Authority of India, is proposing to hand over the virtual management of the Indian Railways to a new entity and encouraging the system of outsourcing of regular works of operation and maintenance of train services, production units, hospitals etc., to different entities.
A meeting of the standing committee of the AIRF held at New Delhi on May 22/23, 2015, rejected the report outright through a resolution. It was further resolved that �Protest Week� will be observed from June 23-30 which will culminate with the observance of the �All India Black Day� on June 30.
