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25/06/2009

Railway ministry to increase prices, withdraws 10% rebate

Railway ministry to increase prices, withdraws 10% rebate

Industry says this move will see container cargo switch to road transport

Mumbai / Bangalore: Beginning July, the cost of moving cargo in steel containers by rail within the country will rise following the railway ministry’s decision to withdraw a 10% rebate on domestic movement of containers in the weight category of at least 20 tonnes.

Rising expenses: Container train operators have to pay rail haulage charges to the Indian Railways for using its track, signalling and telecommunications infrastructure. Ramesh Pathania / Mint

The rebate had been granted to the 16 licensed container train operators in the country since 1 November.

Rising expenses: Container train operators have to pay rail haulage charges to the Indian Railways for using its track, signalling and telecommunications infrastructure. Ramesh Pathania / Mint

Executives from companies that operate container trains that Mint spoke with confirmed receiving the ministry notification.

Container train operators have to pay rail haulage charges to the Indian Railways for using its track, signalling and telecommunications infrastructure. Such charges typically account for about 80-85% of the operational expenses of such companies.

Container train operators say that they will have to pass on the higher haulage charges to the customer. “We don’t have any alternative but to pass it on to our customers,” said Sachin Bhanushali, president, Gateway Rail Freight Ltd, the container train operating unit of Mumbai-listed logistics firm Gateway Distriparks Ltd. “The increased haulage charges will have to be absorbed by the ultimate end-use customers.”

Analysts said the move will only benefit the road transport sector. “As a result of this development, one will see container cargo switch to road transport from rail,” said Mahantesh Sabarad, senior analyst at Centrum Broking Pvt. Ltd. He said with the overall container movement via roads going up, it will give the road freight companies an upper hand in respect to pricing and road freight rates could go up. However, he added, the impact will be confined to container movement and freight rates for general goods will remain unchanged in the short term.

Road transporters are less enthused. Charan Singh Lohara, president of All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), the apex body for the transporters, said the move is unlikely to have a significant impact on the road transport sector. “Despite the withdrawal of 10% rebate, railway freight will continue to be more competitive vis-à-vis roadways by at least 20-25%,” he said.

The rebate to container train operators was initially given till December and was extended once till March and then till June, after operators petitioned the ministry of railways for a complete rollback of the 5-16% hike in rail haulage charges in some weight categories from 1 August. The discount was not applicable to movement of export-import containers of all weight categories.

Meanwhile, the Association of Container Train Operators (Acto), a body representing the 16 licensed train operators, has started lobbying the ministry to continue with the rebate. “The increase in haulage charges will defeat the objective of converting road cargo to rail cargo as containerized rail costs are higher than that of road costs,” said R.C. Dubey, president, Acto.

The railways has a 30-35% share of the total Indian freight transport system by volume compared with 65-70% of road transport. “We are trying to convince the ministry of railways to continue with the rebate,” said Bhanushali of Gateway Rail Freight.

Container rail freight services were privatized in India in 2007 through a policy that effectively ended the monopoly of the state-owned rail hauler of containers, the Container Corp. of India Ltd (Concor). Since then, the government has given rights to operate container trains on various routes to 13 private operators and three state-owned companies—Concor, CWC Ltd and Krishak Bharati Co-operative Ltd. The private container train operators say that a stable price regime is necessary to ensure the success of a policy that was aimed at breaking the monopoly of Concor, introduce competition, reduce rates and attract container traffic from road to rail.

An analyst with a Mumbai-based consultancy firm, who did not want to be named, said that the current pricing structure does not enable these companies to compete with road as additional cost to the operator raises costs to the customer, making it difficult to move container traffic from road to rail.

shally.s@livemint.com

Thumbs Down Action from railway Board.
Article Source:http://www.livemint.com/2009/06/23000844/Railway-ministry-to-increase-p.html?h=B

Posted by Running Staff Solapur at 6/25/2009 07:37:00 pm

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PME Due Date

Master Circular No. 25



Copy of Railway Board’s letter No. 69/H/3/11 dated 06.12.1974



Subject: Implementation of the Recommendations of the Visual Sub-Committee.



6. Periodical re-examination of serving Railway Employees:



6.l. In order to ensure the continued ability of Railway employees in Classes A l, A 2, A 3, B l and B 2 to discharge their duties with safety, they will be required to appear for re-examination at the following stated intervals throughout their service as indicated below:



6.1.1. Classes A l, A 2 and A 3 —At the termination of every period of three years, calculated from the date of appointment until they attain the age of 45 years, and thereafter annually until the conclusion of their service.



Note: (l) The staff in categories A l, A 2 and A 3 should be sent for special medical examination in the interest of safety under the following circumstances unless they have been under the treatment of a Railway Medical Officer.



(a) Having undergone any treatment or operation for eye trouble irrespective of the duration of sickness.



(b) Absence from duty for a period in excess of 90 days.



(2) If any employee in medical category A has been periodically medically examined at any time within one year prior to his attaining the age of 45, his next medical examination should be held one year from the due date of the last medical examination and subsequent medical examination annually thereafter.



If, however, such an employee has been medically examined, at any time earlier, than one year prior to his attaining the age of 45, his next medical examination should be held on the date he attains the age of 45 and subsequent medical examination annually thereafter.



Ammendment: It was ammended in 1993 as below



Age Group PME Due



Age 00-45 every 4yrs



Age 45-55 every 2yrs



Age 55-60 every year
Details:-
As per Rly Bd's Guideline of Medical Exam issued vide LNo. 88/H/5/12 dated 24-01-1993

a) PME would be done at the termination of every period of 4 years from date of appointment / Initial medical Exam till the date of attainment of age of 45 years, every 2 years upto 55 years & there after annual till retirement.
b) Employees who has been periodically examined at any time within 2years prior to his attaining the age of 45years would be examined after 2years from the date of last PME & subsequent PME for every 2years upto 55years age.Of

NRMU 4 you
SMLokhande





6.1.2. Classes B-1 and B-2—On attaining the age of 45 years, and thereafter at the termination of every period of five years.