After IRSDC, Railway Ministry To Close Down COFMOW

After closure of Indian Railway Station Development Corporation (IRSDC), the national transporter has decided to close down Central Organisation for Modernisation of Workshops (COFMOW), another railway body.

COFMOW is a centralised agency of the Railways responsible for modernisation of Railway Workshop/Production Units and for carrying out procurement of specialised machinery and plant and induction of modern workshop technologies.

Continuing with the recommendation made by the Principal Economic Advisor, Ministry of Finance on Rationalisation of Government Bodies duly approved by the Railway Board, the Railways has conveyed the closure decision on 18 October to COFMOW.

The Ministry of Railways stated in a letter that it "has decided to close down the Central Organisation for Modernisation of Workshops with effect from December 1, 2022."

Seeking immediate implementation of the closure process, the order said, "No more tenders shall be floated/opened henceforth by COFMOW and all sanctioned works against which tenders have yet not been finalised/awarded or no contractual liability exists, be transferred immediately to the concerned Zonal Railway/production units."

According to the order, all non-gazette posts of COFMOW be surrendered and the staff may be released/repatriated/re-deployed elsewhere as per their choice whenever possible.

Building and other Infrastructure of COFMOW be handed over to the Secretary branch of Railway Board by 30 November 2022 for further utilisation.

The existing officers posted in COFMOW may be posted elsewhere by concerned Board Members, as deemed appropriate, the order said.