ACC Hoodwinked—सरकार किसी की भी हो, सिस्टम हमारा है और हमेशा रहेगा!
Hope that the Minister for Railways and the Prime Minister’s Office take this feedback into account
#Editorial Comment: We have no animus against any officer—serving or retired. Our only objective is #transparency and clean railway #administration and #operations. In case any officer feels his view has not been represented fairly, they may write to us and we assure due space to their point of view.
The recent #CRB-safety meeting on 6 Feb revealed a concerning picture: “16 non-consequential #accidents and over 15 #SPAD in January 2026”. Every one was shocked to see these figures. We requested a senior officer to give his diagnosis, which we are publishing as received.
We are also reminded of our earlier coverage of some officers like #PCOM of Central Railway who has been recently transferred to Railway Board, former #SDGM of CR who is now #AGM, ED-Safety (Electrical) of Railway Board, a senior professor of #IRITM which established that railway’s top management stays compromised.
#PCOM/CR distinguished himself in extremely poor #cadre management of #traffic and #commercial development, robbing promotional avenues of direct officers, extreme accommodation to long posted promotee officers—Read: “The Ask #4: Can the Compromised Lead?”—disturbing cadre, creating friction with all departments in HQ and in divisions which recently spilled in GM’s meeting when one #DRM of CR complained against another and unions took out procession against operating branch in another division—Read: “रेल की खराब मोबिलिटी और गलत प्लानिंग के लिए सीधे जवाबदेह और जिम्मेदार है ऑपरेटिंग विभाग”. He has been rewarded for his machinations by getting premium posting at Railway Board. Having masterfully bamboozled Central Railways, he now holds the golden ticket to do an encore on the largest scale possible—screw the entire Indian Railways network. जय हो!
The absence of general managers at several important railways and production units highlights significant planning issues with the Chairman/Railway Board and his secretariat. It is concerning that administrative and financial powers of General Managers are delegated to AGMs. Let us not forget that the entire process of a 360-degree review, invitation of applications, security clearance and approval of Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (#ACC) is done for the grant of these very administrative and financial powers of General Managers to select few officers. However, by perfunctorily delegating these very powers for extended periods of time, the entire process of ACC-level screening gets bypassed.
For instance, Additional Member/Traction has been made a general manager through a back door in Prime MInister’s constituency, why was he not considered for the regular position in the first place? If his reputation in financial matters was a factor in his exclusion—as is reported—how has this been addressed before giving him charge of a very important Production Unit?
Consider #CentralRailway; we presented the conduct of an earlier SDGM who was promoted in Mumbai itself and became AGM of CR. It is surprising that an officer with no field experience will be overseeing five DRMs and writing their #APARs. Read: “The Indian Railway’s reputation and the trust of its employees and the public are at stake” and “The Indian Railway’s reputation and the trust of its employees and the public are at stake, Part-2”. No wonder morale of field officers runs in drains today.
Regarding ED/Safety/Electrical/Railway Board we had reported that how his transfer orders issued by then Chairman to South East Central Railway were changed surreptitiously and he was brought to Railway Board. Read: “Safety of Railways-Who will bear the cross?” and “300 Dead – is there still a doubt on choice between Modi-Sense Vs Sudheer-Sense?”. So why should one be bothered about poor railway safety so long as one is able to manage.
The case of an #IRSEE officer who stayed in Lucknow after his #RDSO tenure by getting his transfer orders to nearby Izzatnagar cancelled demonstrates the Railway Board’s lack of commitment to officer training. He ‘managed’ a training academy that functions as a de-facto Railway Staff College. Read: “अंधेर नगरी के चौपट निर्णय!” While name of brother of an earlier #MOBD came up in his machinations, however, the current CRB-on-contract has reportedly extended his grace in memory of their earlier posting at Banaras Locomotive Works (#BLW) in past while granting him posting at IRITM. Read: “Urgent Action Needed-IR has become a Municipal Service, Part-II”.
We hope that the Minister for Railways and the Prime Minister’s Office take this feedback into account. The morale of upright officers and workers is badly shaken. They are humiliated by seniors who have no understanding of the subject and this has given field day to unscrupulous officers. Read: “सरकार किसी की भी पर सिस्टम उनका—की उक्ति को चरितार्थ करते हैं ऐसे पोस्टिंग ऑर्डर”.
Opinion of a Senior Serving Officer
One of the most important reasons for lack of #Safety conscious work environment for train running over IR is that the #workforce is totally demoralised because of power hungry, shameless, insecure, greedy and stupid officers occupying higher administrative posts in Level-16 and Level-17.
These so-called great “Managers” with no managerial abilities and nil leadership qualities have no confidence in themselves and zero tolerance for free movement of PHODs for inspections even within their respective territories.
These arm chair bosses have no guts to stand up and protect fearless officers. Nor do they have the sagacity to empathise with their subordinates facing genuine difficulty. These fellows can’t tolerate outspoken and straight forward subordinate officers.
Most of the GMs don’t even approve tour programmes of the PHODs within the same zone for weeks and months together. The net result is that slowly the PHODs have stopped going to the field and started behaving equally miserly with their subordinate officers.
Everyone works hard only to prepare for the next VC so that the CRB or GM doesn’t insult him/her during the VC. The current dispensation has become notorious for conducting VCs on the smallest of issues.
Hence, an alarming situation has cropped up endangering the overall safety environment on IR and has ruined all hopes of increased efficiency. All round demoralisation and demotivation is fatal for the future of any large organisation like the IR as glorified peons only rule the roost.
The famed railway bureaucracy once known for their professionalism, courage and dedication has been converted into a bunch of timid and insecure babus interested only in promotion and cosy postings earned through unabashed bootlicking !
Hope, Mr Hari Shankar Verma, the new #MOBD, has the guts to reverse the most idiotic anti-traffic steps taken by his vindictive, mean and incompetent predecessor. Any concrete action has to begin with showing the doors to the highly arrogant, most ill-behaved and extremely cunning #OSD to MOBD who is practically a senior scale officer with no field experience of either Divisional or Zonal working on IR.
360° method of evaluation is nothing but a sham ! It’s non transparent, secretive, unfair, illogical and unconstitutional. If officers are to go through such a foolish and mindless process then why not the politicians be evaluated similarly for becoming eligible to get tickets for fighting election or getting ministerial berths? If this method is proper or foolproof, then how the biggest idiots and most notorious characters have been thrown up to disgrace the L-16 and L-17 posts in the recent past?