Maintenance of quarters: RMU demands government to stop deducting five percent from salaries

Railway Mehnatkash Union (RMU) demanded the government to stop deducting five percent from the employees' salaries, for maintenance of their residential quarters, as no maintenance works were going on for the last 10 years. Almost 50 percent of the around 10,000 quarters of PR in the city, which were not maintained properly by the Pakistan Railways (PR), were in critical position.
Through a resolution passed in its yearly general council's session held at Kotri Railway Station on February 1, RMU said "though PR deducts at least five percent from the employees' salaries for the maintenance of these quarters but neither the civic issues have ever been addressed not the ageing infrastructure of these colonies have been developed".
The resolution said, PR has so far received millions of rupees in terms of the maintenance of these quarters but a single penny had not been spent on repair of these government houses. It said most of these quarters, consisting of two to four rooms have also completed its 100 years ages but a single quarter had so far been renovated.
The residents of these quarters spread in the areas along the railway tracks, like at Cant Station, Keamari, Drig Road, Landhi, Model Colony, Malir, Bin Qasim City Station etc have also started facing acute civic issues after the torrential rain last year. On the other hand, it alleged that the high officials have assigned the sweepers and other lower staffs at their houses.
Meanwhile the session, which was attended by Abdul Majeed Solangi, Divisional Chairman, Manzoor Ahmed Mallah, Divisional president, with over 500 workers/members of the union, also appointed new office bearers including Muqadar Zaman, Orangzeb Tanooli, Mazhar Ali Bukhari as Senior Vice president, secretary and joint secretary, respectively.