Top Railways officials involved in racket converting black money to white

A source told India Today, "Every day railway gets Rs 100 and Rs 50 notes in huge numbers at all cash counters like PRS, booking counter, parcel counter and etc. The top level railway officials exchange this money by giving it to people having black currency."

Saurabh Vaktania | Posted by T A Bharadwaj

New Delhi, December 17, 2016 

HIGHLIGHTS

1 The railways are suspected to be helping convert black money to white.

2 Instances of unauthorised exchange by staff is reported at cash counters.

3 Sources say top officials are using the cash at their disposal to do personal favours to some.

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to demonetise Rs 1000 and Rs 500 currency notes, several miscreants have came up with various ideas to convert black money into white. In one such big revelation, the railways are suspected to have been engaged in the same exercise and the racket is potentially huge, according to some railway officials. It is suspected that top railway officials may have been involved in converting black money to white all along.

CASH COUNTERS UNDER THE SCANNER

India Today has been able to get exclusive access to a copy of vigilance branch at Mumbai CST which states that black money is being exchanged at the cash counters of Indian railways for a certain price.

Ashutosh Gangal, the SDGM wrote a letter to Mumbai, Pune, Bhusawal, Solapur and Nagpur Divisions. The letter says, 'Some reports have been received that counter staff at PRS (passenger reservation centre), Booking Office, Parcel office and cash office are not maintaining a proper account of old currency received by them which constitutes serious misconduct on their part. It is also understood that some instances of unauthorised exchange has also taken place by staff and officers.'

The letter further reads ,'It may be again reiterated to all the staff who are dealing with cash that these are prohibited activities. This requires departmental action by concerned enforcement departments. The matter is our most urgent.'

CORRUPTION AT THE TOP LEVELS

The sources told us that huge cash come in the cash counters every day in railways. The top railway officials then exchange this currency with the old currency at the request of some people.

A source said, "Every day railway gets Rs 100 and Rs 50 notes in huge numbers at all cash counters like PRS, booking counter, parcel counter and etc. The top level railway officials exchange this money by giving it to people having black currency as the Railways was still accepting the old currency earlier. This is a clear case of corruption at the top levels in the in Indian railway where by old black money was converted into white."

This is the new way of converting old currency into the new ones. Other sources in the department also confirmed that the railway officials were converting money coming at cash counter for a select few.