Railway board chairman removes top officer, two others over alleged misconduct

The officer was transferred with immediate effect to head the less significant position of managing Freight Operations Information System software.

Written by Avishek G Dastidar | New Delhi | Updated: December 15, 2017

Ever since he took over, Ashwani Lohani (in picture) has opened several channels of communication with employees across ranks in Railways. Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal New Delhi

Acting on complaints he received from within the bureaucracy, including an audio clip of a purported conversation between two officials, Chairman Railway Board Ashwani Lohani has removed a top officer and two other officials lower down the order in Northern Railway following allegations surrounding their conduct, sources said. This is Lohani’s first major action against officials as Chairman.

The Principal Chief Commercial Manager of Northern Railway Devesh Mishra, the top officer responsible for all earnings in the zone through passenger operations and allied activities, was removed following complaints Lohani personally received from within the system, sources added. Lohani directed General Manager of the zone to take the action. Principal Chief Commercial Manager is an additional-secretary-rank post.

The officer was transferred with immediate effect to head the less significant position of managing Freight Operations Information System software. When contacted, Mishra, however, denied there were any complaints against him. “I was not removed because of any allegation. There is no such thing behind the move,” Mishra, a 1983 officer of the Indian Railway Traffic Service, told The Indian Express.

In his place, Mani Anand, a 1984-batch officer of the same service was posted on Thursday.

In more disciplinary actions, a Divisional Commercial Manager (DCM) of Moradabad Division was suspended and ordered to be kept under watch in the headquarters in Delhi during his suspension on Thursday. Lohani received several complaints about this official’s alleged misconduct. He also received an audio clip in which this official is heard purportedly inebriated and misbehaving with his immediate superior, the Senior Divisional Commercial Manager (SrDCM) during duty hours.

Another DCM, in Lucknow Division of Northern Railway, too, was shunted out and posted in Firozpur Division as part of the same drive.

Ever since he took over, Lohani has opened several channels of communication with employees across ranks in Railways. He has even given out a mobile number where employees are encouraged to directly send complaints to him cutting through usual layers, including on chat platform “Whatsapp”, regarding corruption and misconduct within the system, making him the most accessible Chairman Railway Board in terms of interaction with the bureaucracy. Railway Board officials said that disciplinary action against officials concerned will take place following inputs the Chairman receives.