India / Railways gives jobs to 2,800 family members of employees who died of COVID

New Delhi: Indian Railways has given jobs to more than 2,800 people, who are next of kin of employees who died from Covid-19 while working during the pandemic, on compassionate grounds. The deceased persons’ minor children will get a job when they turn 18, the Ministry of Railways said Wednesday.

The Indian Railways lost 3,256 officials of various ranks and departments—who were working at stations, tracks and workshops, among other places—to Covid-19 since March 2020. The family members of 87 per cent of these people got railway jobs within four months. In most cases, it is the son or the wife who have taken up the job. In several other cases, the wives have requested that their employment be kept on hold till they complete their higher education in order to be eligible for higher profiles. Most of the jobs are in Group D category.

Mumbai-based Central Railway and Western Railway saw the maximum deaths at 743.

The Railways is hoping to complete the compassionate employment drive by this month, sources said.

Railways also announced the Performance Linked Bonus equivalent to 78 days’ pay to its employees, as per a decision of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday.