Mumbai: Government Office Timings May Change To Ease Train Rush; Committee To Examine Feasibility

To ease the burden on Mumbai’s suburban railways, the Maharashtra government is considering implementing staggered office timings for government and semi-government offices in Mumbai city and the Mumbai suburban districts.

A committee headed by Chief Secretary Rajesh Kumar has been formed to examine the feasibility of this proposal and submit its recommendations, according to an NDTV Marathi report.

With rapid urbanisation, the number of daily commuters on Mumbai’s suburban trains continues to rise, leading to a significant increase in accidental deaths — often caused by overcrowding and passengers boarding or hanging from moving trains.

In the last three years alone, 7,565 passengers have lost their lives in various railway accidents. Between Thane and Kalyan, 741 passengers died just last year. Recently, five passengers were killed and nine injured in a train accident in Mumbra.

During the monsoon session of the legislature, the opposition criticised the government over the safety of suburban railway passengers. In response, the government assured the House that it would hold discussions with the Union Railway Minister and take steps to improve passenger safety.

Earlier on July 10, the railway administration had requested the offices of the central government, state government and private institutions in Mumbai to keep the office timings different in order to reduce the rush of passengers in the morning and evening in Mumbai suburban trains.

Accordingly, the government has started the process of keeping the office timings of government offices under the jurisdiction of the state government in Mumbai city and Mumbai suburban districts different.

A committee has been formed under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary to examine the feasibility of this proposal. The Additional Chief Secretary of Finance, Transport, Urban Development, General Administration (Services), Industries, Works Department, Secretary to the Chief Minister Shrikar Pardeshi, Transport Commissioner.

Both the District Collectors of Mumbai have been included as members in this committee, as well.

The committee has been asked to discuss with the employee organisations and submit a report within three months. If the state government's experiment is successful, the timings of central and private offices will also be changed, sources informed NDTV Marathi.