Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has given green signal to Divisional Railway Managers (DRMs), a key functionary in rail operation, to go abroad for advanced training, banned since 2009.
The first batch of 30 DRMs will go to SDA Bocooni in Milan for two-week training from September 7 in high speed train service, working out strategy and planning among others, sources in railways said.
Earlier DRMs used to go to HEC Paris for their skill upgradation training which was banned since 2009.
However, Railways is allowing the DRMs to travel Italy with a rider. It has asked them to report back to duty immediately after the training by September 21 thus not allowing them to extend their stay beyond the two weeks.
Besides, it has also reduced the allowance of 100 US dollar per day to 65 US dollar per day, which has caused resentment among the DRMs.
"It is a shabby treatment meted out to us," said one of the DRMs going on the study trip.
"Every government officer is generally allowed to avail 5-day leave which is called ex-India leave after foreign trip as per rules. But here the ex-India leave was cancelled at the last moment. Many of us who has booked their plans in advance now stand to lose a substantial amount due to the cancellation," he added.
