Kharagpur Workshop was established in 1898 as a small repair workshop of Bengal Nagpur Railway. Kharagpur Workshop has evolved and grown over the years to become the largest maintenance workshop of the Indian Railways. It carries out periodic overhaul of all varieties of B.G. Rolling Stock viz., Diesel Locomotives, Electric Locomotives, Coaches, all types of Wagons, Electric Multiple Units (EMUs) and Steam and Diesel Cranes.
The workshop belonged to the erstwhile SER whose span of control extended upto Vizag. Interestingly, of the 880 kms of railway track from Howrah to Vizag, 252 kms are located in AP.
Although, this was not the result of any demand/agitation, there was an unwritten 25% reservation in jobs at the workshop for people of AP/Telugu origin. This practice was in vogue prior to India's independence....
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I HAVE HEARD THIS FROM MY LATE FATHER. The beneficiaries of this reservation where mainly from the districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, and towns like Palasa and Telegus from these areas flocked in large numbers to Kharagpur for employment at the workshop there. They belonged mainly to the eastern dry part of coastal AP which were not as prosperous as say Vizag, East Godavari. West Godavari and Krishna, the fertile coastal districts.
After independence and the formation of IR, this unofficial job reservation was discontinued. However, those who had come earlier continued to remain there. While they continued to speak Telegu. they were more comfortable with the local customs, practices and food. Unfortunately, while those who were employed at the workshop did well for themselves, children born in these families were mostly failures in life, despite the fact that there is also a Telegu medium school in KGP. A good number of them ended up as rickshaw pullers addicted to gambling and drinking. Some of them even took to crime for a living.A few among the second generation did very well getting into business. A good Telugu friend of mine in KGP is a very successful RICE MERCHANT and his children are brilliant students.
One famous or rather INFAMOUS Telugu from KGP is the DON of KGP, called RAM BABU, who was in jail for a number of years.
Another famous person of Telegu origin, although he belongs to ANARA near ADRA and not KGP proper, is the CPM MP and former Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Railways, Shri. Basudev Acharya. This post which is HIGHLY INFLUENTIAL is presently held by the former Minister and DMK MP Shri. T.R.Baalu.