As part of 65th Railway Week Celebrations, John Thomas, General Manager, Southern Railway distributed Efficiency Shields for outstanding performance to various Divisions and units today, 24th March 2021. A function was organized at Southern Railway headquarters which saw the participation of Senior Officials of various Departments/Divisions. Some officials had joined through virtual means also.
A total of 33 Efficiency Shields were distributed along with merit certifications. Salem Division of Southern Railway bagged General Manager’s Inter-Divisional Overall Efficiency Shield while Madurai Division received the Runners-up Shield. Salem Division also bagged Efficiency Shields for its exemplary performance in Engineering, Manpower Planning , Electrical, Stores, Planning-Work Study, Passenger Amenity Work fronts . Commercial, Medical, Accounts and Electrical Energy Conservation Efficiency Shields were bagged by Madurai Division.
Among other Divisions, Chennai Division bagged Shields for efficient functioning of Mechanical and Security branches. Thiruvananthapuram Division received Safety and Operating Efficiency Shields. Signal & Telecom and Personnel Efficiency Shields were received by Tiruchchirappalli Division.
Apart from these, various departments and workshops of Southern Railway that excelled in various fields also were given Efficiency Shields. Central District and Perambur District Bharat Scouts & Guides were honoured with Best Performance Awards for their yeoman service during COVID lockdown.
Indian Railways celebrate Railway Week on April 16, 1853 to commemorate the advent of Railways in India, first train being run from Mumbai to Thane. During the Week, Zonal Railways hold functions, wherein the General Managers will be giving away awards and shields to Railway employees and various units of the Zonal Railways for their exemplary performances. The 65th Railway Week award ceremony ought to have been held in the year 2020 with all the individual and shield winners being honored in one location but could not be organized on account of pandemic situation. However, to motivate the work force, 65th Railway Week Award functions were held in phases for distribution of individual awards to winners of various divisions on various dates across the zone, duly adhering to all COVID safety protocols, both through offline and online means.