Congratulations to our leaders and units for massive success of the programme as per the decision taken by our last CC Meeting held at Kolkata on 25-26 June.
About 600 participants attended the National Dharna beyond our all expectations because looking to the issue of getting Police Permission for a larger number, we had to indicate that the Dharna will be arranged with participation of representatives numbering 200 to 300. The arrangement had to be expanded by hiring additional 200 chairs but still many of our Comrades had to be present there standing for long time under scorching sun and intolerable heat.
While on the way to New Delhi on 08.08.2022 we learnt that the Parliament session has been declared adjourned sine die, though it was supposed to be in session upto 12th of this month as per earlier schedule announced by the Government. So, many of our leaders were upset and many of our Comrades could not meet Hon'ble MPs / Hon'ble Ministers / other dignitaries due to this adjournment of the Parliament Session. But it is a matter of great satisfaction that Sri R Krishnaiya, Hon'ble MP from AP and Sri Sanjay Singh, Hon'ble MP from AAP (Delhi), both from Rajya Sabha came to our gathering / Dharna and vociferously supported our demands and agitation programmes. Both of Hon'ble MPs are very much known for their close relationship with the struggles of common man and also the working class and they have committed to be with us in all such occasions of struggles besides their assurance to take up our demands / opposition to privatisation of RRBS inside and outside of parliament.
The Dharna was presided over by the President, AIRRBEA. Comrade Secretary General inaugurated the programme stating the background of our series of agitation programme to achieve the settlement of our long pending demands and also to ensure scrapping of the proposal of the privatisation / IPO of the RRBs. Comrade Ajit Kumar Ghosh, Ex-President, AIRRBEA a veteran founder leader of the AIRRBEA at the age of 80 reached to the venue and addressed the participants for few minutes. Other leaders of the Core Committee and leaders from various States / Units including from the Women Sub-Committee took part in the discussion through their valuable speech with intermittent thundering Slogans in favour of the demands and opposing of Privatisation and anti-people / anti-worker policies of the Government. Notable feature is that good number of women comrades, retirees and also new generation comrades from all over the country took part in the Dharna very enthusiastically, Media particularly the electronic media has widely covered our programme and agitation.
Memorandum was submitted to the Secretary, GOI, MOF, DFS at about 04:30 PM by the AIRRBEA delegation when the delegation had detailed discussion with the senior DFS Officials of the RRB Section, urging them to ensure No IPO for RRBs and also to settle the demands at the earliest to avoid repeated occasions of industrial unrest. We requested that there should be permanent solution to the issue of parity of pay scales, allowances and other benefits with particular reference to new benefits introduced in 11th Bipartite Settlement, amendment of Promotion Rules / Pension Regulations,2018 etc. The Officials assured us to apply their minds very seriously in all the matters raised by us.
The Dharna programme was ended after declaration of the resolve of the participants to carry on the campaign of our demands and to make the Strike on 23.09.2022 a grand success.