Lok Sabha Question No. 56 (STARRED), answered on 2015-12-02
Subject: Railway Porters
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: C. N. JAYADEVAN

## GOVERMENY OF INDIA

## MINISRTY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 56 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.12.2015

## RAILWAY PORTERS

- *56. SHRI C.N. JAYADEVAN: Will the Minister of RAILWAYS  be pleased to state:
- (a) the number of licensed porters in railways, zone-wise along with job profile  assigned to them;
- (b) whether it is a fact that the Railways has issued a circular prohibiting  licensed  railway  porters  from  handling  parcels at the stations impacting porters in various States including Kerala;
- (c) whether the railways has outsourced its parcel job causing great hardship to the licensed porters; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI SURESH PRABHAKAR PRABHU)

(a) to (d): A Statement  is laid on the Table of the House.

STATMENT REFFERED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF STARRED QUESTION NO. 56 BY SHRI C.N.JAYADEVAN TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 02.12.2015 REGARDING RAILWAYS PORTERS.

(a):  Zone-wise  strength  of  licensed  porters,  who  are  authorized  to handle the luggage of passengers in station premises, is as under:

| S.No   | Zonal Railways             |   No. of Licensed Porters |
|--------|----------------------------|---------------------------|
| 01     | Central Railway            |                      1022 |
| 02     | Eastern Railway            |                      1859 |
| 03     | East Central railway       |                      1827 |
| 04     | East Coast Railway         |                       949 |
| 05     | Northern Railway           |                      4167 |
| 06     | North Central Railway      |                      1129 |
| 07     | North Eastern Railway      |                       557 |
| 08     | Northeast Frontier Railway |                       959 |
| 09     | North Western Railway      |                       630 |
| 10     | Southern Railway           |                      1538 |
| 11.    | South Central Railway      |                      1179 |
| 12     | South Eastern Railway      |                       382 |
| 13.    | South East Central Railway |                       618 |
| 14     | South Western Railway      |                       732 |
| 15     | Western Railway            |                      1613 |
| 16.    | West Central Railway       |                       601 |
|        | Total                      |                     19762 |

- (b):  Standing instructions regarding licensed porters not to be utilised for parcel handling work at railway stations have been in force since long.
- (c) & (d): Presently, parcels booked over Indian Railways are handled either through departmental labour or through contractual labour.  At stations where departmental parcel porters (Hamals) are not provided, parcels  are  being  handled  by  contract  labour,  i.e.  arranged  by  a Contractor for a specified period on terms and conditions incorporated in  the  contractual  agreement.    Therefore,  the  question  of  causing hardship to the licensed porters, on this account, does not arise.
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