RAILWAY SAMACHAR

The unintended consequences of “Agreed List”

This is undoubtedly a very good article. There can be no two opinions about the complete uselessness of the provisions of keeping officers' names in the Agreed-list. Rather, this system is humiliating, counterproductive, unfair and undemocratic.

This provision is perhaps one of the most misused weapons in the hands of a vengeant higher administration against junior officers. One will rarely come across cases of real thieves and burglars be included in the Agreed-list.

Not only is this a relic of the colonial system of suppression of dissenting voices, but this is also a form of violence perpetrated upon innocent and straight-forward officers by the real crooks and eunuchs manning the power corridors of the vigilance machinery. The net result is that the government has lost the services of countless number of efficient, honest and bold officers who believe in taking decisions.

This has also promoted a culture of avoiding decisions by those who are on the right side of the age and hence aspire to hold higher administrative posts simply because they have joined at the younger age. The worst aspect of this system is that, practically no name comes out of the Agreed list once it is put thereby a motivated and mindless group of seniors.

Hopefully, some day, somebody will challenge this unfair and draconian provision in the court of law and perhaps justice will be done to enumerable honest, efficient, straight forward and out-spoken officers who have been bearing this agony silently for decades on without any hope of getting justice.

-A Valuable Views Written By A IRTS Officer