Chandigarh amongst five Railway Engineers Territorial Army Regiments disbanded by Railways
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in
A Committee of three Executive Directors/Principal Executive Director was constituted in the Ministry of Railways to review the existing Functional Establishment of six Railway Engineers Territorial Army Regiments located at Jamalpur, Jhansi, Kota, Adra, Chandigarh and Secunderabad. The Committee re-assessed the operational requirements of Railway TA Regiments.
On the basis of the recommendations of the above Committee and with the concurrence of the Ministry of Defence and Directorate General of Territorial Army, Ministry of Railways have decided as under:-
- Disbandment of five Railway Engineers Territorial Army Regiments located at Jhansi, Kota, Adra, Chandigarh and Secunderabad.
- Retention of one Railway Engineer Regiment (TA) located at Jamalpur for the operational role along the route New Jalpaiguri-Siliguri-Newmal-Alipurduar-Rangiya (361Kms) to cover the critical rail link through Siliguri corridor and further upto Rangiya as proposed by Ministry of Defence.
Chandigarh amongst five Railway Engineers Territorial Army Regiments disbanded by Railways. The disbandment process is to be completed by Directorate General Territorial Army within a duration of nine months from the date of issue of Ministry of Railways letter dated 03.06.2022 and the modalities for the same are to be worked out by DGTA in consultation with Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Defence.
About Railway Territorial Army (TA) units
Railway Territorial Army (TA) units were raised as an auxiliary force in 1949 under the Territorial Army Act, 1948 for maintaining rail communication in the forward areas during active hostilities and maintenance of essential rail transportation in emergent situation (railway strikes etc.) during peace time. Railway Engineers Regiments are manned primarily by serving railway personnel with the help of a small nucleus of permanent staff drawn from regular Army.
The most important feature of this force is that enlistment to the Railway Territorial Army Units does not stand in the way of normal vocation of TA Personnel in civil life and provides them an opportunity to participate in national defence and support national effort while remaining in present vocation. By joining TA, the Terriers gain knowledge of an organization responsible for safeguarding the country, handling weapons and ammunition and are exposed to a very high degree of discipline for which the Army is known. This also instills in them, a sense of euphoria and make them real tough when they look upon themselves in plush “Olive” Green uniforms and shiny stars on epaulettes.
June 6,2022
