Eastern Railway Celebrates Raksha Bandhan with Focus on Womens Empowerment and Employee Welfare

Kolkata, August 29: Eastern Railway (ER) celebrated Raksha Bandhan in a unique manner on Friday. The event featured an interactive session with female employees and announced several welfare initiatives.

General Manager Geetika Pandey hosted the session, emphasizing professional growth and employee welfare in the workplace. She encouraged women employees to share their experiences, perspectives, and suggestions through open dialogue.

During the event, she presented a special track bicycle to Triyasha Paul, an exceptional track cyclist who will represent India at the upcoming Asian Games in Japan later this year.

Additionally, medals were awarded to archers Sonia Thakur and Lakshmi Hembrom for their remarkable achievements.

Focusing on the overall welfare of employees, several impactful initiatives and workshops were announced. These include ‘Art of Living’ sessions, a wealth and health management program specifically designed for retiring employees, tailored wealth management advice for women, practical nutrition tips, workshops on sexual harassment awareness, and sessions addressing mental health issues.

A special counseling room is being established for face-to-face mental health counseling for any employee in need. Furthermore, physical facilities at the workplace are being upgraded by enhancing the ladies’ tiffin room at Fairly Place and identifying a suitable location for a new ladies’ tiffin room in the New Koylaghat building.

Women have been part of the railway workforce for decades, but they are no longer confined to office roles. Women now work as frontline operational staff, with some serving as locomotive pilots for mail, express, freight, and suburban trains, while others handle various tasks in yards and workshops.

A senior official stated, “Since taking office, the General Manager has focused on empowering female employees. She has emphasized that proper facilities should be available in all units. Men are also being sensitized to understand and respect the feelings of their female colleagues. Any form of harassment, whether sexual or otherwise, is not tolerated. Initiatives like these will further improve the situation.”

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