VADODARA, Aug 17: About 60 people of the anti-fraud squad of the Vadodara division of the Western Railways were brought back from their duty in the trains to the Vadodara Station following their failure to meet targets set by the commercial department of the divisions. The employees were given a fixed amount to be recovered from defaulters.The squad was asked to collect Rs 2,000 daily from defaulters, including ticketless travellers and general class ticker-holders travelling in reserved classes, irrespective of the train they were travelling in.
Squad members, however, claimed that the targets set by the commercial division were unrealistic and difficult to meet. Arguing that the targets fixed should vary according to different trains, they pointed out that achieving the target was easier in Express trains like the Shatabdi and Rajdhani and not mail and passenger trains.
One of the squad members, on condition of annonymity, alleged that the shiftings had not only demoted them, but even their allowances were deducted, which amounted to a double blow.
He pointed out that deduction of allowances had affected not only their daily earnings but also their performance, as now they had no perks to look forward to.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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