Railway staff use sick leave to go on holidays

CHENNAI: Officials in Salem division of Southern Railway have blown the lid of a scam regarding attendance fudging among railway employees. A complaint has been sent to the vigilance department of the zonal railway in Chennai two weeks ago and an investigation will be launched soon, sources said.


Documents accessed by TOI show that railway staff like station masters were frequently reporting sick for work.

However, they would travel to their native states for two weeks. This would usually be done during important festivals like Diwali, Chhat Puja and Durga Puja.

Employees, when they report sick for work, are supposed to be in the railway hospitals. according to the rules.

An inquiry by senior officials showed that these employees would go on leave for two weeks and immediately after return obtain a pre-dated medical certificate from the local railway hospital.

"However these employees have not followed any procedures of outpatient as per relavant railway rules," railway sources said.

In another case, the inquiry found that one employee took sick leave but during the same period booked a holiday home in Ooty. Afterward, he reported back to work with a medical certificate.

"Not only these employees are violating railway rules but also railway doctors in the hospital flout norms to issue certificates fradulently," an official said.

In a complaint filed to the vigilance department, some documents filed show the receipt of the holiday home in Ooty, and other travel receipts.

Misuse of privileges in this manner leads to overworking of other employees and wastage of manpower, said an official. This comes at a time when the railway is already facing a shortage of station masters and track maintainers. "Such practices can affect train operations," the official added.

Inquiries revealed that the scam was being perpetrated in the railway hospital in Salem. Interestingly this had prompted railway employees in Erode and Karur to come to Salem and obtain the medical certificates in fradulent manner, sources said.