The ongoing online tendering fraud in Railways

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Corruption in Indian Railways is eating the organisation like termites

There is a strong nexus going on in online tendering system with the help of Railway Board Vigilance, CRIS Management and Construction Organisation of East Central Railway Mahendrughat, Patna and many other Zonal Railways.

It is noticed that in all tender cases in last few years, the lowest bidder submitted tender at the fag end of given time and date. In all these cases only 2-3 firms comes as lowest one (L-1).

This has started since the time Mr R K Jha posted as PED/Vigilance, Railway Board. There is very likely that these bidders get the rate details of other bidders before they participate.

For example, enclosed here details of 07 cases of construction organisation of ECR, Mahendrughat, Patna for better appreciation of scandal/nexus.

1. Tender No. ELCNMHX ETEN 6319-20, Closing Date & Time: 23.01.2020, 12:00.
L-1: Jai Mangala Construction, Begusarai, bidding Date: 23.01.2020: Time of submitting bid: 11:10:28.
L-2: Shyam Takniki Udyog, Dhanbad, bidding date: 22.01.202, time: 17:11:11.
L-3: M S Niranjan Enterprises, Rohtas, bidding date: 22.01.2020, time: 23:05:00.

2. Tender No. ELCNMHX ETEN 0121-22, closing date & time: 17.06.2021, 12:00.
L-1: Jai Mangala Construction, Begusarai, bidding date: 17.06.2021, Time: 11:51:14.
L-2: Singh Electricals, Dhanbad, bidding date: 17.06.2021, time: 10:55:33.
L-3: Jagdish Singh Enterprises, Begusarai, bidding date: 16.06.2021, time: 19:49:52.

3. Tender No. ELCNMHX ETEN 0221-22, Closing date & time 17.06.2021, 12:00.
L-1: Jai Mangala Construction, Begusarai, bidding date: 17.06.2021, Time: 11:41:40.
L-2: Bhawani Enterprises, Muzaffarpur, bidding date: 16.06.2021, time: 17:53:28.
L-3: M S Niranjan Enterprises, Rohtas, bidding date: 17.06.2021, time: 11:34:23.

4. Tender No. ELCSMHX ETEN 18-2021-22, closing date & time: 11.01.2022, 12:00.
L-1: M S Niranjan Enterprises, Rohtas, bidding date: 11.01.2022, time: 11:57:49.
L-2: Baba Udyog, Dhanbad, bidding date: 08.01.2022, time: 16:05:55.
L-3: Shiv Kumar Singh, Chandauli, bidding date: 09.01.2022, time: 23:07:32.

5. Tender No. ELCSMHX ETEN 06-2021-22, closing date & time: 02.08.2021, 12:00.
L-1: Singh Electricals, Dhanbad, bidding date: 02.08.2021, time: 11:52:11.
L-2: M S Niranjan Enterprises, Rohtas, bidding date: 02.08.2021, time: 00:43:42.
L-3: Baba Udyog, Dhanbad, bidding date: 01.08.2021, time: 13:32:03.

6. Tender No. ELCSMHX ETEN 10-2021-22, closing date & time: 02.08.2021, 12:00.
L-1: Singh Electricals, Dhanbad, bidding date: 02.08.2021, time: 11:39:47.
L-2: Jagdish Singh Enterprises, Begusarai, bidding date: 02.08.2021, time 09:55:28.
L-3: Unified Electricals Engineers, Dhanbad, bidding date: 02.08.2021, time: 10:54:09.

7. Tender No. ELCSMHX ETEN …., closing date & time: 02.05.2022, 12:00.
L-1: Singh Electricals, Dhanbad, bidding date: 02.05.2022, time: 11:25:04.
L-2: Unified Electricals Engineers, Dhanbad, bidding date: 02.05.2022, time: 09:18:31.
L-3: Kumar Enterprise, Katihar, bidding date: 30.04.2022, time: 22:39:52.

It is very likely that the same racket system is also going in other railways too.

How is it possible that the agency who participate in last minute before closing time becomes L-1? As per reliable sources, these 2/3 firms are very close to Ex PED/Vig/RlyBd and present DyCEE/Con/South/ECR/MHX and other supervisors involved.

In few cases, the L-1 submitted the tender just 2-3 minutes before closting time. Other cases just 10-20 minutes before closing time.

Funda of Non-Workable Rates

In all these tenders the lowest bidder quoted their rates much below the estimated cost, few of these rates are non workable. But despite non workable rates, it is very surprising that how work is being completed is a matter of investigation.

Railway officers normally help their favourite contractors to complete their work in following ways —

1. Excessive quantity of materials taken in scheduled quantity then the actual requirement of material at site. False quantity shown in measurement book for payment.

2. Portion of executed work through another contracts or existing yard lines also shown in multiple interlinked contracts.

3. Few non scheduled items of higher rates also included through variation after awarding the contract to favour contractor.

4. Few scheduled items of lower/non workable rates not executed.

5. They help contractors through railway man, materials, sub standard materials, and old released material also.

6. For a particular project multiple contracts being done by construction officers and awarded to same firm where quantity of one contractor is also shown in another contracts.

7. It requires complete investigation as no contractor can complete the work with huge loss due to much below quoted rates.

8. These contractors are getting full support in ECR construction organisation.

9. Earlier they used to get full supports in other railways also due to menace of Ex PED/Vig/RlyBd, but now few big contracts of these firms getting terminated in other Railways like Eastern Railway construction organisation.

10. One such contract of M S Niranjan Enterprises, Rohtas of approx value of 90 crores got terminated due to now not getting support of ExPED/Vig/RlyBd.

However these firms still enjoying full supports in ECR construction organisation due to win-win situation to both the parties but ofcourse bleeding Indian Railways.

All these cases need to be verified and deeply investigated by expert technical team of national investigating agency CBI, CVC to expose the ongoing online tendering fraud in Railways.

Hon’ble MR should look personally

Minister for Railways who is also a technocrat cum administrator should look into these cases personally and get it investigated till the culprit exposed and punished.

Recently Railway Minister has shown exit doors to several senior group ‘A’ most corrupt and crook officers in Railways which has given a strong message in entire Indian Railways.

Corruption in Indian Railways is eating the organisation like termites. There is no doubt with the consent of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw has teken tough stand to eradicate corruption within Indian Railways but the efforts/actions should continue till complete filtration of the system & eradication of corruotions.

-Surresh Tripathi

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