Railways restructuring to lead to closure of wings

What is the News?

Indian Railways has announced the closure of the Special Railway Establishment for Strategic Technology and Holistic Advancement (SRESTHA), Lucknow.

What is the SRESTHA?

It is a research unit set up in 2016 as a part of the Research Designs and Standards Organization(RDSO).

Purpose: It was tasked with the role of taking up long-term railway research projects requiring technological advancement.

Located in: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

Why was the SRESTHA unit closed?

SRESTHA unit is being closed as part of the restructuring plan of the Railways which is in line with the recommendations of the Principal Economic Adviser Sanjeev Sanyal for Rationalization of Government Bodies.

For Indian Railways, the Principal Economic Adviser has called for the closure of organizations like the Central Organization for Railway Electrification (CORE), the Central Organization for Modernisation Of Workshops (COFMOW), and the Center for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) and the Indian Railways Organization for Alternative Fuel.

Why is this restructuring plan of Indian Railways being criticized?

Firstly, the establishments proposed for closure have crucial modernisation, technological and research-oriented goals in the near future. Hence, winding them up prematurely defeats the very purpose of their creation and demoralizes the officers/employees who have been part of the mission. 

Secondly, the closures might lead to chaos and disruption of systems and cause a serious setback to the orderly and efficient functioning of the railways.

Source: The post is based on the article “Railways restructuring to lead to closure of wings” published in The Hindu on 2nd May 2022.