End of track for bungalow peons?

In the tough interiors of India, bungalow peons sometimes turn footsoldiers of the Indian Railways, but in towns, they often end up doing daily chores for officers and their families.

Which is why questions have begun to emerge on the relevance of the position of these telephone attendants-cum-dak khalasis (TADKs) or ‘bungalow peons’. A review of the policy has also been sought.

However, railway officers point out the need to have such a support facility since many of them serve in interior regions that are not safe. Also, the job requires officers to be on the field and sometimes work round-the-clock, which is very different from being involved in policy-making jobs in ministries.

Some officers point out that TADKs — they join the Railways as temporary staff and, after a screening process, become Group D staff — many a times prove more effective as field staff than some direct recruits, who join with higher qualifications such as MBA, MSc, and the like but often refuse to do the task at hand.

The facility of bungalow peons began during the British era, and was provided only to officers posted on the field. Over the years, the ambit of people who could employ a bungalow peon expanded to staff in the headquarters who had to spend part of their working hours in the field. Subsequently, this facility has expanded to include a large number of Railway Board officials.

TADKs usually join as temporary staff for an officer to manage the house. After spending 3-5 years on the job, they join as Group D staff, which is a permanent, government job.

This opens the door for the TADK to take further examinations for upward mobility in his career.

There are several safety category posts across departments — electrical, running, signalling, among others — where TADKs eventually get absorbed.

Usually bungalow peons become ticket examiners, porters, mechanics for air-conditioned coaches and cooks in the running room (where loco-pilots and guards rest).

“I am aware of somebody who started as a bungalow peon and rose to the level of Senior Divisional Commercial Manager,” a person in the know told BusinessLine .

Among the 13 lakh Railway employees, there are about 2,800-3,000 TADKs. They get paid about ₹20,000 a month, with benefits similar to that of Group D staff.

“There were proposals that officers be given an equivalent amount to help them hire a local help. But, given a choice, I would not even want to take ₹50,000 on offer. TADKs aware that they could get a permanent job in the Railways and are dependable. They are loyal and wedded to the Railways,” an officer said.

In fact, the officer called for strengthening and nurturing this culture, given that the Railways operate in Left-Wing Extremist (LWE) and other difficult terrain.

“As long as TADKs get absorbed to work on the field, it is all well. But the problem arises when they join the office as peons. That is unproductive employment,” said an official, declining to be identified.

There are other practical challenges.

“While bungalow peons are hired by and for the home of Railway officers, it is the family that deals with them through the day, as they are pretty much like domestic caretakers. At times, the family forgets that they are not the officers.” So, there have been exceptions of a family misbehaving with bungalow peons and vice-versa. “But, can rules be made for exceptions?” asked another official.

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