Welfare of the employees of Bangladesh Railway

Ruhul Quadar Azad
Managing Director
Bangladesh Railway
(Karmachari) Kallyan Trust

Manpower, one of the five M’s (Others are Money, Material, Machine and Management) is the most vital element of an organaization in order to run it successfully. Knowledge, skill and attitude of an employee are very important issues for the development of an organization. An employee usually tries to offer his best efforts for the welfare of the organization. In return, the organaization should think of the welfare of its employees. Apart from other benefits, such welfare activities taken by the organization plays a positive roll on the organizational behaviour of the employees.

Like many other Government Organizations, Bangladesh Railway do have some formalities for the welfare of its employees. Before April 27, 1989 such welfare activities were not in a structured form. The Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh, through the Ministry of Communications, brought out a resolution on that day for the welfare of the employees of Bangladesh Railway as well as for their family members. As a rusult, a subsidiary body named “ Bangladesh Railway (Karmachari) Kallyan Trust” was formed headed by a Managing Director (ranked equivalent to a joint secretary).

Objectives
The main objectives of this trust are:
(i) To provide multilateral welfare activites for the Railway employees and for their families.
(ii) Establishment of Industrial and Commercial organisations for relief and rehabilitation of the employees of Bangladesh Railway and their families.
Organisational Set-up
Director General, Bangladesh Railway is the Chairman of the Managing Committee of Railway (Karmachari) Kallyan Trust. Other Members of this committee are as follows:

o Additional Director General (Imfrastructure) – Vice Chairman.
o Additional Director General (Rolling Stock)- Member.
o Additional Director General (Finance)- Member.
o Additional Director General (Operation)- Member.
o Additional Director General (Marketing & Corporate Planning)- Member.
o General Manager (East) – Member.
o General Manager (West) – Member.
o Financial Adviser & Chief Accounts Officer (West)- Member.
o Chief Estate Officer (East) – Member.
o Chief Estate Officer (West) – Member.
o Nominated (Railway sramik delegate) Member from Head Quater/CPO (east) – 1 Member.
o Nominated (Railway sramik delegate) Member from Head Quater/CPO (west) – 1 Member.
o Nominated (Railway sramik delegate) Member from Divisional Railway Manager (Dhaka) – 1 Member.
o Nominated (Railway sramik delegate) Member from Divisional Railway Manager (Chattagram) – 1 Member.
o Nominated (Railway sramik delegate) Member from Divisional Railway Manager (Lalmanirhat) – 1 Member.
o Nominated (Railway sramik delegate) Member from Divisional Railway Manager (Pakshi) – 1 Member.
o Nominated (Railway sramik delegate) Member from Divisional Superintendent (Workshop), Pahartali, Chattagram- 1 Member. o Nominated (Railway sramik delegate) Member from Divisional Superintendent (Workshop), Saidpur- 1 Member.
o Managing Director, Bangladesh Railway (Karmachari) Kalyan Trust Member-Secretary.
This managing committee takes major decisions to run Kallyan Trust activities.

A partial view of Rail Bhaban.

Source of Fund
The source of fund of Railway (Karmachari) Kallyan Trust are as follow:
a) Monthly Subscriptions from Railway Employees from the monthly salaries of Railway employees :- Monthly subscriptions are cut off in favour of Kallyan Trust. Collection Rates are as follows :
Class-i 100/-
Class-ii 80/-
Class-iii 60/-
Class-iv 40/-
b) License fees : There are several markets and ponds which are given to kallyan trust from Ministry of Railways. These are located at Saltgola (Chattagram), Halishahar (Chattagraam), Bhairab bazar, Laksham, Narayanganj, Sylhet, Rajshahi, Lalmonirhat and Saidpur. License fees from these market/ponds are added to Kallyan Trust fund. Besides, there is an ongoing market in Bogura. Morever, some other proposals for market are sent to Ministary of Railways.
c) Bank interest: Kallyan Trust runs some fixed diposit return in several banks. Interest from these accounts are a source of fund for Kallyan Trust.

Welfare Activities
The welfare activities of Railway (karmachari) Kallyan Trust are as follows:

a) One time grant for dead, retired or disabled employees:- Tk. 10,000 each.
b) Grant for complex diseases of employees or his/her families members:- Maximum of Tk. 20,000/- each.
c) Grant for education of poor employees/pair of spectacles for poor employees/wedding of daughter or son of poor employees/funeral of poor employees or his/her family members:- Maximum of Tk. 5,000/- each.
Conclusion

Railway (Karmachari) Kallyan Trust is engaged for the welfare of railway employees. The scope of welfare activities can be accelerated if funds are increased. Bangladesh Railway still has many waste lands and unauthorised captured lands. If such lands are given to Kallyan Trust and strengthen this trust by adequate manpower and other relevant resources, this Trust might become a giant organization and could contribute to Bangladesh Railway in a better way. We hope that the Ministry of Railways and Bangladesh Railway will take measures to strengthen the capacity of this Trust to make it stronger for the welfare of Railway employees.