Procurement of Bed Sheets in NER Raises Eyebrows – Allegations of Procedural Violations & Corruption

Gorakhpur Bureau: Reliable vigilance sources have indicated that serious procedural lapses and possible corruption are surfacing in the ongoing #bedsheet procurement in North Eastern Railway (#NER), Gorakhpur.

According to these sources, artificially inflated demand for bed sheets has been engineered to facilitate private gain. #Procurement covering the #contract period up to 31st March, 2027 has already been completed, yet a fresh #Tender has been floated on the #GeM portal seeking supply till 31st March 2028.

As per extant railway procurement rules, in current year i.e 2025‑26, purchases are permissible only for the immediate next cycle—2026‑27—which has already been executed. By extending coverage to 2027‑28, the tender deviates from the prescribed norms and pre‑empts future cycles, raising suspicions of undue favour and pre‑planning.

To justify this inflated requirement, approximately 1,50,000 bed sheets have reportedly been shifted to other Railways, officially described as “inter‑Railway assistance.” #Vigilance insiders, however, describe this transfer as a “colourful device” to exhaust existing stock and manufacture urgency for fresh procurement. A kanpur based private vendor is driving this purchase from the back.

Vigilance authorities are said to be closely monitoring the developments. Contd.