Indian Railways 'safaiwalas' go through name change exercise; this is what they are called now

Indian Railways cleaning staff will now be called 'housekeeping staff'. Though the national transporter renamed its cleaning staff from 'safaiwala' to 'housekeeping staff', their duties and pay will remain the same. The Indian Railways said in an order issued on Monday to zonal railways.

'Safaiwala' are 'Group D' employees who deal with the cleanliness of premises. However, with the name change there will not be added any additional benefits. These employees are involved in cleaning of premises of various Indian Railways departments.

"The railway board, in consultation with both staff federations, have decided that the existing designation of 'safaiwala' in all departments of the Indian Railways be replaced henceforth by the revised designation of 'housekeeping assistant' with the department/branch name suffixed in parantheses," said the order.

Responsibilities, appointment procedure, pay levels, eligibility conditions, method of recruitment seniority and avenues for promotion will remain same, PTI reported.

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Recently, Indian Railways started a massive recruitment drive. The national transporter is in the process of holding the examinations as part of the hiring process.