Rising expenses: Railway Board seeks to rein in spending on employee allowances, fuel, maintenance

Concerned about rising working costs, the Railway Board has directed its seven zones to examine their spending on employee allowances for overtime, night duty and travel, and fuel and maintenance, according to sources.

The Ordinary Working Expenses (OWE) in the current fiscal year up to May show that the seven zones have exceeded the Railways’ average of 26% increase over the corresponding period of the previous year, according to a quarterly review meeting chaired by Railway Board Chairman V K Tripathi.