Bhusawal Division—Art of Deal—New Normal for IR

Admin

Why was the quoted rates not taken as benchmark for negotiations?

Divisions, Workshops, and Sheds have been using low-value #tenders for decades to meet the ‘hospitality’ expenses of seniors. Earlier, this was done using local powers of #AMMs (ACOS of the past) or #ADENs (AENs of the past).

However, with the increase in powers of Branch Officers (#BO), few tenders are now done purely for ‘adjustment’. Why would a #BranchOfficer want to collect resources this way for his seniors when the incentive to do so for himself has just increased?

This is the reason #Railwhispers took a stand against opulent parties, expensive gifts and the lifestyle of celebrities led by officers and supervisors. It is difficult to see how these could be funded solely by the salary. This is an area where railway #babudom has spectacularly failed.

Case from Bhusawal Division of Central Railway

In a recent #Tender (No. #BSL-ELECT-TRD-47-2025) case from the #TRD department, an L-1 bidder was bypassed despite being 9% above estimate. L-2 bidder was 16.67% above the estimated value. The grounds for bypassing were not technical specification but a known discrepancy in the tender document. This was a matter of interpretation as the requirement was expressed differently at two locations.

#Ep135: #SrDEE/TRD/BSL—टेंडर कंडीशन में चालबाजी!

Story gets murkier from here. When it was clear that the L-1 was being bypassed on issue of interpretation of papers submitted, why was the quoted rates not taken as #benchmark for negotiations?

It is well known that under pressure for extending hospitality and gifts, to meet expenses for never ending inuagurations, this is how money is being generated. In the process, branch officers are now being trained in ‘Art of Deal’ by emotionally intelligent Level 16, 17 leadership.

Unfortunately, the typical #SDGMs on #IndianRailways are officers who never had courage to stick neck out and take decisions. These officers cannot be expected to give any leadership to clean the Aegean stables.