Southern Railway has affirmed that the privilege license requested by the Loco Bibin Thomas de Mangalore Depot in the Palghat division for a medical emergency was not denied. | Photo credit: Getty images
Southern Railway has affirmed that the privilege license requested by the Loco Bibin Thomas de Mangalore Depot in the Palghat division for a medical emergency was not denied. However, the official records revealed that his license application specifically cited his wife’s medical emergency, he was rejected.
Citing the report ‘Loco Pilot, who hastened to the delivery of his marked wife absent’, published in The Hindu On April 12, 2025, Southern Railway Public Relations Director (CPRO) M. Senthamil Sagan said Thomas had requested five days of license through the Human Resources Management System (HRMS) from April 9 to 13, citing “personal reasons.” Due to the limited license priority and an acute shortage of Crazy Assistant pilots in the deposit, the main crew controller (CCRC), Mangalore Junction.
On April 8, Mr. Thomas sent an emergency message to the service of the service crew “verbally without specifying any detail and left the headquarters without formal approval,” said the CPRO.
As a result, it was absent due to the lack of clean documentation. On April 12, Mr. Thomas submitted a manual license application for the same period of five days, stating that his wife was hospitalized for reasons related to pregnancy. Upon receiving, the CCRC quickly sanctioned the license and updated the crew management system (CMS) accordingly.
Normal absent marking
Sagan said that marking an absent employee to leave the headquarters without approval was a normal practice. These instances were typically shuffled with a valid representation as was done in the case of Mr. Thomas. “We emphasize that there was no denial of eligible license privileges of Mr. Bibin Thomas. The railroads adhered to the established procedures and the proper extended consideration upon receiving the appropriate documentation,” he said.
Records speak otherwise
However, unlike the statements of Southern Railway CPRO, official records accessed by The Hindu He revealed that Mr. Thomas’s license application dated April 8 was rejected by the CCRC despite the fact that the employee clearly mentioned that his wife had been admitted to the hospital for delivery before the expected date of childbirth as advised by the doctor.
The employee had uploaded the online application in the HRM that gave specific details and had not made the “verbally” request as stated.
In a handwritten letter addressed to the CCRC given through the appropriate channel the same day, Hey declared that his wife was admitted to the hospital due to a medical emergency and looked for a license for five days.
After the subject was marked by the Association of Personnel of India Crazy Running and also published in The HinduThe South Railway Authorities contacted Mr. Bibin and informed him that his license was sanctioned. The days marked as absent from the service would also be treated as a license.
Published – April 14, 2025 09:24 PM IST
