Five railway territorial army units to be disbanded

New Delhi: The Ministry of Railways has decided to disband five Railway Engineers Territorial Army Regiments located at Jhansi, Kota, Adra, Chandigarh and Secunderabad, an official statement said Monday. However, Railway Engineer Regiment located at Jamalpur will be retained for operational role along the route New Jalpaiguri-Siliguri-Newmal-Alipurduar-Rangiya, it said. The Railway Territorial Army units were raised as an auxiliary force in 1949 under the Territorial Army Act, 1948, for maintaining rail communications in forward areas during active hostilities and maintenance of essential rail transportation in the country in peace time whenever required. These are manned primarily by the serving railway personnel with the help of small nucleus of permanent staff drawn from regular Army. The ministry said that a committee of 3 executive directors was constituted to review the existing establishment.