Railway employees’ families seek repatriation from Rayagada to Visakhapatnam

Families of railway employees from the erstwhile Waltair division, now posted in the Rayagada railway division, staged a protest outside the South Coast Railway (SCoR) headquarters at Siripuram on Monday, demanding their immediate repatriation to Visakhapatnam.

The protesters, including women, children and elderly parents, accused the railway administrations of failing to resolve deployment issues following the bifurcation of the Waltair division. They raised slogans against the SCoR and East Coast Railway (ECoR) and sought early action on their demands.

The Joint Action Forum of the Rayagada Railway Employee Families submitted a memorandum containing six demands. It sought the implementation of Para 9.3 of the Detailed Project Report (DPR), including the invitation of options from employees and the preparation of combined seniority lists.

The forum also demanded the immediate issuance of a Joint Procedure Order (JPO) in line with the July 24 meeting of Principal Chief Personnel Officers (PCPOs), besides the protection of employees’ service liens and promotion prospects in Visakhapatnam.

The families said prolonged postings in Rayagada had resulted in employees being separated from their families and raised concerns over their children’s education and the medical needs of elderly parents.

They also sought restoration of the triangular and pentagonal rotation policy, under which newly recruited employees could be posted directly to Rayagada while senior employees could return to Visakhapatnam.

The forum demanded withdrawal of unilateral posting orders issued since June 1, 2026, alleging they were issued without considering combined seniority lists.

The protesters warned of intensifying the agitation if their demands were not addressed and urged the Railway Board to intervene to protect the career prospects and welfare of the affected employees.