Age-old railway rules and systems should be changed immediately

Urgent and Most Important Issue for Attention of Railways Minister and All the Decision Making Directors/Officers in the Railway Board and Its Units

Railways’ progressive working policies in the last 40 years. Our experience regarding the various changes made and their very negative effect and outcome

Most of the Modification has been done/incorporated like in our INDIAN CONSTITUTION from time to time by a handful of Politicians/Bureaucrats for their short-term benefits and passed in the Parliament or Otherwise,  resulting in putting India in a very complex and dangerous situation. Which are being disclosed presently one by one and being corrected/modified by our Prime Minister and present Government.

Equally – Happening in the Indian Railways even after considering the Railways and Contractors each as one side of the same COIN.

A) USE OF TECHNOLOGY:

1. Age-old rules and systems should be changed immediately to suit the present technology/working style and implementation of complete paperless working wherever possible.

2. Even after spending thousands of crores on Software, Computers & Hardwares during the last couple of years, the same has not been implanted fully, i.e. paperless working. Even today, it is in the partially implemented situation, resulting in the work suffering a lot and no one seems to be interested in fully implementing it.

3. In the present BJP Rule and emphasis by Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Improve the Working of Railways by using world-class technologies and spread the Railway connectivity all over India, all the concerned peoples with the Railways have to put all-round support to achieve this target.

4. There is a provision and software already developed and under implementation by the Tinsukia Division (Electrical Department) of N. F. Railway by which it hardly takes 3-4 days to prepare a bill for payment to the contractor against any works contract.

Whereas, at the majority of the offices, although available, the digital system is neither implemented nor are officers taking any trouble/pain to implement the same. Due to this one side, a huge time is consumed by the concerned supervisors/officers to fill up the Measurement Books (MBs) by hand depending on the volume of the work with all details as mentioned in the Contract Agreement.

Therefore, unnecessary valuable time of Railway officers is wasted and the Contractor is also not getting paid in time. Therefore, the immediate use of technology for the purpose is necessary to save the time & money of the Railways.

B) POWERS TO GOVERNING BODY

1. The Service period for the Railway Boards’ Executives and Senior Officers at all levels i.e. Board, Zone, or any other Railways-related Organisation, is maximum for 2 years before retirement, who are empowered as per Nominated SOP to change/ Modify such rules and Regulations.

2. After serving 30/35 years from junior level to their top-level before retirement in the complex existing rules, such officers want a safe retirement life hence do not want to take any burden/Risk of changing the old running working Rules even if it is not beneficial to the Railways in any case. In the process, the old system continues to work, which is damaging for the Railways.

Therefore, the Railway administration is required to smoothen the existing rules so that senior officers who are empowered to take/change the policy matters can decide for the benefit of the Railways without any fear.

C) NEW RULES/CHANGES IN THE EXISTING RULES

1. Certain Amendments were done in the Rules and Systems from time to time but most of them were taken one-sided or without deep thinking and Analysis hence not proved to be very good or useful, rather creating problems and confusion between the agencies, officers, contractors, suppliers, manufacturers, etc.

2. For a Perfect and beneficial rule and regulations, in our opinion a consultation with the age-old contractors/Manufacturers/Suppliers/Service providers of 35/40 years in the Railways can be very useful and beneficial for the Railways and all stakeholders by which the progress in the Railways can be achieved very fast and the prevailing wastages in working, time, Manpower, Materials can be saved drastically and can fulfill the vision of Modi Ji for the Country and Railways.

Prevailing very Damaging Rules and Recently Introduced one also:

1. Promotion of the Officers: The officers are promoted as per rules and their Confidential Reports (ACARs) are written by their then immediate Bosses irrespective of their capability.

2. There is a provision of VRS scheme for every Railway Employees equally there should be a rule to terminate an employee if found not fit for Railways at whatever the post he is.

3. A confidential report of every officer irrespective of his position should be taken from the Other Agencies i.e. Contractors/OEMs/Suppliers/Service Providers with whom the officer has dealt during the last 3-4 postings.

4. Presently there are so many officers senior or junior who are very very damaging to the Railways hampering not only progress but creating problems and huge losses to the Railways.

5. A Department wise website should be immediately created at Board and Zonal level so that any complaints against such Employees can be intimated by the Agencies with whom they are dealing or have dealt earlier.

6. For scrutiny of such complaints, a panel of Honest officers – may be retired – also should be formed. The cases should be investigated soon and see that action is taken.

7. Equally a Department wise website of suggestion should also be created so that it can be reviewed now and then.

D) FINALISATION OF TENDERS

Contractors, Suppliers and Service Providers etc.

1. Lot of time and Money of Railways and the Agencies working for the Railways are wasted in deciding the Tenders.

2. Despite having a condition in the tender that L1 bidders may not be considered, tenders are awarded to L1 bidders simply based on their so called credentials even at a very below offer compared to the Railway’s Estimates. Without any calculation for the reasonability of the offer, capacity and existing works in hand.

3. Tenders are discharged 2 to 4 times because the Rates are assessed to be very high compared to the LARs (last accepted rates) without considering the actual involvement of cost due to place of work, availability of local facilities, geographical and political situation of the area and finally the present value of the various items covered within the contract. The concerned officers never wanted to take pain to justify the rates of any tender on such parameters, which are permitted in the Tender Conditions.

4. Always the Tender Estimates are prepared by the Junior Officers irrespective of volume and value of work based on thumb rules for Items/Quantity/ and Rates from LAR (last accepted Rates) having no knowledge of latest technical changes/RDSO Guidelines/Boards Guidelines etc. Hence, lots of Mistakes / Variations are taking place after the award of the contracts, resulting in further changes and loss of time and money for both Railways and Executing Agencies.

5. In every case, all tender estimates are prepared almost before 1 to 3 years of Tender Bidding Date, in the process the per-year escalation as per old Railway rules is added while finalising the tender, this formula is no more practical hence needs to be addressed.

6. Tenders should not be finalised superseding any tender conditions, which leads to a lot of RTI/Vigilance and Court cases.

7. Railways have a very different working environment and culture, therefore, experience in the Railways should be preferred always.

E) Transfer of Executive In-charge/ Field Officers under whom Works Contracts are Executed

1. Frequent Transfers are done by the executive in charge/ field officers from one place to another place by requirements/duration or due to Promotions or Retirements.

2. Payments and Measurements of works executed by contractors or agencies at the time of emergencies and commissioning on verbal instructions of Executive-In-charge or Field Officers, and other works completed but not recorded or paid till the date of transfer of such officers. As every Executive is aware that although it is mentioned in every Contract Agreement that no new work should be executed by any Agency without prior approval from the Railway Authority.

3. In the event of such officers’ transfer, they are leaving their present office without any proper record and settlement of works completed under schedule or new work. Thereby, in almost all the cases, the contractor suffers a huge financial loss, delay in settlements leading to the closure of the contract for a longer period. Therefore, a suitable and concrete mechanism should be in place so that the contractor can get their legitimate payment of the work new or old executed by them in the presence of a transferable executive.

Therefore, no Executive In-charge / Field officer should be transferred without closing the Contract Agreement under whom the project was completed.

All the issues connected to Railways do not come once at a time, hence, will keep on intimating such serious points as and when remembered or encountered.

Hope, the authority concerned will look into the matter immediately and keep on correcting and modifying the system regularly in the interest of the country in general and the Railways in particular.

• An Honest Citizen of India and a Well-wisher for the Indian Railways.

#IndianRailways #RailwayBoard #Railway_System #Railway_Rules #NarendraModi #PMOIndia #CRB #AshwiniVaishnaw #MR #CEORlys