CVO/RDSO Colludes with Vendor Syndicates and Corrupt Officials, Jeopardizing Train Safety – A Case of Policy Corruption

Admin

Irrefutable evidence has emerged demonstrating that an individual (#CVO/RDSO) entrusted with the #responsibility of eradicating #Corruption has, in fact, by his continued inaction has become #protector of #unethical and #corrupt practices, is this by #design or by #incompetence? Unless one is a #beneficiary of the very corrupt practices the inaction cannot be explained. Despite the formal submission of undeniable proof of #policy-corruption, this individual has remained completely silent for nearly a year, which has allowed unscrupulous #vendors having unchecked rein and financial gain at the cost of railways.

Look at the following:

  1. On 20.09.2023, a #complainant lodged a detailed #complaint with the #DGRDSO, providing an abundance of #evidence regarding the rampant policy corruption within RDSO, arising from the #criminal-nexus between certain #RDSO-officials and a #vendor-syndicate of signal and telecom cables. This corruption has resulted in, and continues to result in, severe #Safety risks, as numerous #vendors are being upgraded without any assessment of their product performance. Recognising the severity of the situation, the DG/RDSO promptly forwarded the complaint to the CVO/RDSO, instructing immediate investigation and urgent corrective measures.
  2. The complainant, seeking #transparency, filed a request under the #RTI Act to obtain the status of the complaint. In response, the #PIO & Director/Vigilance/RDSO, through a letter dated 09.11.2023, indicated that the matter was under investigation.
  3. As per the existing guidelines, the Director/Vigilance, via a letter dated 12.10.2023, requested the complainant to verify the #authenticity of the complaint, a step the complainant promptly fulfilled on 18.10.2023.

Now, nearly a year has passed, yet the CVO/RDSO has failed to take any action, choosing instead to sit idly on the complaint.

An immediate investigation by an independent agency is imperative before another #CBI raid becomes inevitable at RDSO.

Process of approval of a Vendor for a Product

We understand that under the garb of field trials and impractical guidelines existing vendors gamed the system perpetuating their #stranglehold and #cartels which called for a #reform.

RDSO #approval like any other has two #components. #Validation of design and that of manufacturing. There are many items which can be validated by international labs, on international standards accompanied by rigorous endurance testing which is tougher than field conditions, can readily validate the design and its adequacy. Further careful #examination and #verification of submitted #QAP and M&P of the vendor’s #manufacturing facility can validate the consistency of the manufacturing without need of a field trial.

However, for the products like #cables which are not typical assembly or fabrication items, where batch to batch and with in batch difference in performance can occur even over length of a cable in a roll, field trials of certain #quantity is inescapable to validate the consistency of manufacturing. In fact consistency type tests are also needed while monitoring field performance of supplies.

RDSO has to understand that one size fits all approach cannot apply to all items which can be as diverse as #track-equipment, #switchgear, #electronic items, #rotating equipment and #cables. Thus, silence of RDSO on such blanket approach cannot be explained unless there are motives underlying the continued inaction.