LAHORE, April 22: Revision in the pay scales of the signals’ department employees, whose ongoing practice of doing everything strictly by the book is delaying the arrival of express trains at their destinations, will cost around Rs5 million a month to the Pakistan Railways.

Sources told this reporter that recommendations in this behalf were finalised last month soon after issuance of a notification regarding revision of the pay scales of some categories of the staff directly related to trains’ operation.

“Ironically, the recommendations to upgrade the BS-1 to BS-14 posts of signals’ staff, who fall in 19 categories and are also responsible for trains’ operation, have fallen prey to red-tape and are somewhere at the railway headquarters in Lahore,” they claimed.

The signals department has 904 Muawan signal and 26 Muawan signal diesel, 17 hammer man signal, 12 fitter signal diesel, 13 fitter retarder, six wireman, 12 tinker, 17 mason, 17 blacksmith, 17 painter and 15 carpenter, 315 signal maintainer and five signal maintainer diesel, 200 sub-engineer signal, six sub-engineer diesel and five sub-engineer retarder, one assistant foreman oil diesel, 45 signal inspector and one oil engine inspector signal.

The summary recommends that the posts of muawan, hammer man, fitter, wireman, tinker, mason, blacksmith, painter, carpenter, signal maintainer and assistant foreman oil diesel be upgraded by two while that of sub-engineer by one pay scales. It proposes addition of Rs5,000 allowances in the salary of signal inspector and oil engine inspector signal as they are in BS-16.

Since 1974, the muawan are in BS-1, hammer man in BS-3, fitter, wireman, tinker, mason, blacksmith, painter and carpenter in BS-5, signal maintainer in BS-8, sub-engineer in BS-11 and assistant foreman oil diesel in BS-12.

Meanwhile, trains’ operation continued to be disrupted for the 10th day on Sunday due to the protest drive of the signals staff demanding pay raise.

Arrival of major trains at Lahore and Karachi stations was delayed by one to three hours even on Sunday, though the main signals link near the Ravi Bridge was restored on Saturday night.

A tractor-trolley had hit a pole carrying overhead cables at a crossing on Friday, severing the signals link between the Badami Bagh and Shahdara sections.

Officials at the PR headquarters said six express trains arrived late in Lahore while seven arrived late in Karachi.

Karachi Express arrived in Lahore at 2.05pm instead of its scheduled time of 11.40am, Tezgam reached at 3.45pm instead of 1.40pm, Allama Iqbal Express at 12.40pm instead of 10.40am, Jaffar Express at 2.35pm instead of 12.30pm, Quetta Express at 2.30pm instead of 11.25am, Karakoram Express at 10.10am instead of 9am and Jaffar Express at 3.45pm instead of 12.30pm.

Buraq Express arrived in Karachi at 2.45pm instead of its scheduled time of 12 noon, Pakistan Express at 8.55pm instead of 7.10am, Nishtar Express at 12.46pm instead of 11.45am, Allama Iqbal Express at 9.35am instead of 8.25am, Tezgam at 12.35pm instead of 11am, Millat Express at 9.40am instead of 8.05am and Karakoram Express at 10.39am instead of 9am.

The railway signals staff had on April 12 decided to adopt the ‘go by the book policy’ to press their demands for revision of salaries, withdrawal of cases registered against their leaders at the railway headquarters and eight-hour working day.