The reports by Mirror quotes the officials saying that the probe has been launched by the Railway Board to sabotage the Vande Bharat project. The report states that nine officers have been sent questionnaires regarding alleged irregularities in the procurement of the propulsion system for EMU/MEMUs (Electric Multiple Unit / Mainline Electric Multiple Unit) and the Train 18. The officers facing probe alleges that the threat of a vigilance probe is an attempt to get international contractors involved in the manufacture of Train 18. The officers allege that every decision they took is being questioned, and this will instil fear among officials and slow down the decision-making process in the Railways. One officer is quoted by Mirror as saying that the notices sent to them are a clear case of a witch-hunt.
The Mumbai Mirror report comes across as defending the officials facing probes of corruption. According to Railway sources, several complaints have been received related to the procurement of various items at ICF, particularly propulsion systems. Accordingly, the Board had asked the CVO of the ICF conduct a detailed investigation, where a number of irregularities were detected in the procurement process of the propulsion system by ICF. After that, questionnaires have been sent to all concerned officials. These include five from Electrical, four from Mechanical, one from Finance & one from Store departments, which means a total of eleven officials are under the scanner by the vigilance.
Some of the irregularities noticed in the procurement of propulsion system of EMU/MEMU trains, as per Railway Board sources, include:
- Irregularities in finalisation of eligibility criteria for eligible bidders and finalisation of Tenders for procurement of propulsion system since December 2016 onward.
- Eligibility criteria was made to favour a particular firm and certain firms were ignored during finalisation of tenders.
- Restrictive eligibility criteria was used for several tenders to favour a particular bidder.
- It is learnt that an eligible bidder i.e. BHEL was ignored for the final order.
- It is learnt that in all the tender finalised in December 2016 onward favour have been extended to one Hyderabad based company and a multinational company based at Canada.
- ICF not empowered to invite works tender for complete procurement of Train-20 sets.
- Technical and financial Eligibility criteria in the above works tender made to favour a particular vendor for the above tender.
- Railway Board guidelines for works tender ignored.
- In one of the tender eligibility conditions was made to have a go down facility within close distance to ICF campus for a bidder to be eligible for award of work.
Apart from these, several irregularities were detected procurement of propulsion system for Vande Bharat, which include:
- Tender for propulsion system awarded on a single tender to favour a particular Hyderabad based vendor, other existing vendors were not considered.
- The tender was finalised on urgency, but it is learnt that there have been delays in supplies of rake even though no penalty was imposed.
- RDSO specification was not followed.
- Equipment were accepted and used without inspection by RDSO (Research Designs and Standards Organisation).
- It is learnt that order for automatic door system, brake system for T-18 has already been placed without finalisation of specifications.
- Railway Board appointed AM’s committee has pointed out various shortcomings in the present rake of Vande Bharat.
- It is learnt that Bogie utilised for Vande Bharat is suitable only for EMU and not suitable for mainline.
- It is learnt from the RDSO that riding the quality index of the Bogie utilised for Vande Bharat does not meet RDSO standards.
The Board has also learnt that ICF has finalised stores tender for procurement of propulsion system for EMU/MEMU/T-18 amounting to approximately Rs. 4,000 crore from December 2016 onwards, out of this amount 60% order has been given to a Hyderabad based firm.
Therefore, there have been serious allegations of irregularities at ICF, and the authorities are probing the same as per established rules. To allege the motives behind the investigation will mean encouraging the irregularities and defending the accused officials.
Moreover, the allegation of the officials that the probe is aimed at derailing production of Train 18 at the ICF to favour foreign manufacturer also does not have any basis. An answer by Railway minister Piyush Goyal at the Lok Sabha on 27th November states that a total of 160, 240 and 240 coaches of the train will in made at the ICF in 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22. Two rakes of the train have already been put into service in Delhi-Varanasi and Delhi- Sri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra routes.
This is not the first time that malicious reports have been published to allege that the Train 18 production at the ICF is being affected due to investigation of irregularities. Earlier also such claims were made, which were denied by the Railway authorities.
Prasanta Patnaik