New Delhi, Feb 26 : Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yaday on Tuesday said that his ministry has issued directions for setting up minority cells in all Zonal Railway offices and in the Railway Board for promoting minorities’ welfare and ensuring their adequate representation in railway services.

"It has been made mandatory to have one member from the minority community in all the recruitment boards and committees," said Lalu, adding, "It has also been decided to issue recruitment notices in Urdu newspapers, published in the States having Urdu as the second official language. Instructions have also been issued to permit Urdu also as a medium of examination for Group ‘D’ posts in such states."

While presenting the Rail Budget for coming fiscal, the Railways Minister told the Lok Sabha that a special campaign had been launched to clear the backlog vacancies of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and nearly 99 per cent identified vacancies had been filled up so far.

He went on to say that recruitment from SC, ST and Other Backward Classes in Group ‘D’ had in fact exceeded their respective earmarked quota in 2007-08. (ANI)