10:55 PM
Railway brass under CBI lens for nod to rejected sleepers
BHOPAL:
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has initiated an inquiry against
top officers of Indian railways for doling out 'special favours' to a
Chhattisgarh company for allegedly supplying sub-standard and rejected
concrete sleepers thus putting lives of commuters to risk.
Thousands of sleepers - manufactured by M/s Orissa Concrete & Allied Industries Limited (OCAIL) Chhattisgarh - have already found way under railway tracks across the country, sources said. Experts claim such sleepers, if not replaced, may cause derailment of trains. The CBI conducted search on company premises on Saturday to collect documents, said an officer of investigating agency.
Taking serious note of the issue, chief vigilance office (CVO), which had recommended CBI inquiry, had shot off a letter to railway ministry for inspection of all railway tracks where rejected sleepers were laid. It has also sought termination of company's contract for deliberate supply of defective material, sources said. A copy of CVO report is in possession of TOI.
"45% of OCAIL sleepers were found of sub-standard quality during random check," said investigating officer on condition of anonymity. The company supplied rejected sleepers in three divisions, he said.
Initial investigations suggest that 45,000 substandard quality sleepers supplied by the company were laid on rail route between Raigarh railway station to Champa Junction railway station in Chhattisgarh.
In all, 21 trains, including Mumbai-Howrah Mail, Gondwana Express, South Bihar Express, Bilaspur-Patna Superfast, Jodhpur-Puri Express, LTT-Shalimar Express, Hirakud Express, Kalinga-Utakl Express, Gondia-Raigarh Jan Shatabdi Express and Azad Hind Express passes through this track, where OCAIL sleeper are used.
CVO suspects a senior section engineer at Bhanpuri, Raipur, in collusion with other officers of railway and managing director of the firm approved 60,390 substandard concrete sleepers for supply to railway.
Railway board paid Rs 45 crore to company on basis of false certificate from railway authorities, whose brief was to ensure its quality, according to CVO report.
Thousands of sleepers - manufactured by M/s Orissa Concrete & Allied Industries Limited (OCAIL) Chhattisgarh - have already found way under railway tracks across the country, sources said. Experts claim such sleepers, if not replaced, may cause derailment of trains. The CBI conducted search on company premises on Saturday to collect documents, said an officer of investigating agency.
Taking serious note of the issue, chief vigilance office (CVO), which had recommended CBI inquiry, had shot off a letter to railway ministry for inspection of all railway tracks where rejected sleepers were laid. It has also sought termination of company's contract for deliberate supply of defective material, sources said. A copy of CVO report is in possession of TOI.
"45% of OCAIL sleepers were found of sub-standard quality during random check," said investigating officer on condition of anonymity. The company supplied rejected sleepers in three divisions, he said.
Initial investigations suggest that 45,000 substandard quality sleepers supplied by the company were laid on rail route between Raigarh railway station to Champa Junction railway station in Chhattisgarh.
In all, 21 trains, including Mumbai-Howrah Mail, Gondwana Express, South Bihar Express, Bilaspur-Patna Superfast, Jodhpur-Puri Express, LTT-Shalimar Express, Hirakud Express, Kalinga-Utakl Express, Gondia-Raigarh Jan Shatabdi Express and Azad Hind Express passes through this track, where OCAIL sleeper are used.
CVO suspects a senior section engineer at Bhanpuri, Raipur, in collusion with other officers of railway and managing director of the firm approved 60,390 substandard concrete sleepers for supply to railway.
Railway board paid Rs 45 crore to company on basis of false certificate from railway authorities, whose brief was to ensure its quality, according to CVO report.
.jpg)
.jpg)
0 comments:
Post a Comment