Railway Procurement Audit Reveals Severe Compliance Lapses In TPI Certification Procedure

The vendor received clearance for a multi-crore supply without any record of raw material import/test certificates or an approved QAP

A comparative analysis of two official inspection certificates issued by #RITES Limited for component supplies to Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (#CLW) exposes significant disparities in document verification and standard operating procedures. The findings highlight crucial compliance gaps in the #verification-process for high-value #locomotive components supplied to Indian Railways.

The first document, Certificate No. 1385407, details an inspection conducted on November 24, 2025. The purchase order, valued at over ₹6.71 crore, covered 7,261 rotor bars for Scheme-I rotors. The inspection, carried out by Inspecting Engineer #Palash De, cleared the entire offered lot of 7,261 units. However, crucial supporting documentation mandatory for major technical components was omitted. The document list associated with the inspection fails to include raw material import documents or raw material test certificates and notably lacks an approved Quality Assurance Plan (#QAP). The uploaded files consist only of photographs, a generic test plan, and a lab report, with zero records of raw material traceability or approved QAP references in the remarks.

In stark contrast, Certificate No. 4772975, issued on June 22, 2024, by Inspecting Engineer #Suresh Kumar Suman, demonstrates complete adherence to standard procedure. Covering an order of 7,000 stamping-type resistance rings, the inspection explicitly notes that approval was granted specifically on the basis of an approved Quality Assurance Plan. The accompanying documentation uploaded to the #IREPS system includes a comprehensive paper trail consisting of the #OEM Raw Material Test Certificate (OEM-RMTC), an Approved QAP, internal test reports, offer general certificates, drawing specifications, and test witness reports alongside standard inspection images.

The direct comparison between the two certificates demonstrates a marked failure of standard oversight in the case of the first certificate (No. 1385407). While the second Inspection Certificate (No. 4772975) adhered strictly to compliance—requiring documented proof of raw material origins, raw material test certificates, and an officially approved QAP before clearance for dispatch was granted—the #vendor under the first certificate received clearance for a multi-crore supply without any record of raw material import/test certificates or an approved QAP uploaded to the system.

Railway Excepts say, clearing the dispatch of finished products without verifiable raw material records or an approved QAP bypasses essential protocols designed to ensure the structural integrity of electrical equipment in passenger and freight locomotives. Such unlawful practices amount to direct cheating of the procurement system and pose severe #safety risks to the #traveling-public; therefore, the railway administration must immediately halt these fraudulent shortcuts and institute strict legal measures against defaulting vendors.