The Indian Railway’s reputation and the trust of its employees and the public are at stake

The allegations against Mr Atul Gupta and Mr Ajeet Yadav paint a troubling picture of nepotism, regionalism, and corruption within the leadership of the Indian Railways. These accusations, if substantiated, could have serious consequences for the organisation’s integrity and the welfare of its officers. This behaviour has reportedly taken a toll on the morale and well-being of officers. The repercussions of Mr Gupta and Mr Yadav’s actions have been deeply felt within the IRSS cadre!

Sh. Atul Gupta, Additional Member/Railway Stores (AM/RS) joined Railway Board as #PED in March, 2022 and then joined as AM/RS/RlyBd in July 2022, and is retiring on August 31, 2023. Since his posting as AM/RS/RlyBd, he along with his favoured Executive Director, Sh. #AjeetYadav (#EDRS/P) made sure to take the officers of the Indian Railway Stores Service (#IRSS) fraternity to rock bottom due to his sadistic approach and negative attitude towards his officers.

Both Mr Gupta and Mr Yadav have roots in Rajasthan and both suffer from #RajasthanMania and Yaari-Dosti mania (wherein #AtulGupta favours officers with background from #Rajasthan because he has planned for settlement in Jaipur and plans to take undue benefits from all of them favoured). Mr Yadav also suffers from casteist syndrome – officers from his caste are given special treatment by him at the helm of other officers – as told by many officers of IRSS fraternity.

Reliable sources say that Sh. #RKSaxena, predecessor of Sh. Atul Gupta was retired compulsorily due to various mischievous activities executed by Sh. Atul Gupta in order to be AM/RS. The details of his mischief would soon be published in #Railwhispers.

It is learned that recently a file was put up by AM/RS Sh. #AtulGupta for posting various #PCMMs in Zonal Railways and PUs – as per his wishes and vested interests – against the anticipated retirements and vacancies arising thereafter from September 01, 2023 onwards has been returned by #MTRS citing “Let the new AM/RS take a call on the same”.

It is learned that many officers #SAG and above are on leave due to the sadistic approach of Mr Gupta & Mr Yadav when it is absolutely not at all possible for the officers to relocate due to their prevailing family circumstances and personal reasons.

Officers say that both Mr Gupta and Mr Yadav have been accepting #dasturi from the officers for their favoured postings and putting the officers with compelling family circumstances and fit as per #transfer policy against the policies laid down by the #RailwayBoard and Govt of India at bizarre locations thereby getting pleasure from their inflicting pain.

Ajeet Yadav and Atul Gupta are famous amongst the Group-B officers for accepting their one year #HRA as #dasturi in lieu of their posting at Mumbai, Delhi, NCR and other regions which fall in “X” category of HRA. Hefty dasturi per posting is being taken in lieu of their favoured posting. Also, it is informed by many officers who did not want to be named that presently a “boli system” is going on in the present regime in Railway Board for posting of officers of different cadres. Lakhs of rupees is being taken for posting of PCMMs, JAG/SG officers in favoured locations. Posting pics with various cabinet ministers, former Railway minister, stalwarts of Railway Board including #CRB and #MTRS etc. in social media platforms makes Yadav’s fantasy and his importance amongst Group-B officers.

Sh. #AnilRamteke, a stalwart officer of Indian Railways was forced by AM/RS to take voluntary retirement due to mistreatment and posting him as #PCMM, Integral Coach Factory (#ICF) forcefully when he even requested to keep him as #CMM at Western Railway and was due to retire soon next year.

On the contrary, Sh. #SiddharthSharma, IRSS officer in SAG wanted posting in north India and did not want to go to Western Railway was posted forcefully to Western Railway. Sh. Sharma is presently on leave due to some health issues. It is important to note here that Sh. Anil Ramteke did not want to leave Western Railway and even did not want to join as #PCMM, still he was sent forcefully to #ICF. One officer has taken voluntary retirement while the other is on leave due to health issues. This is a great loss to the organisation.

Sh. #UdaiKumarKeshari and Sh. #Khare, IRSS officers in SAG have been forcefully sent to #ICF, Chennai from South Eastern Railway (#SER) and Eastern Railway (#ER) respectively. Both the officers are not willing to go due to some compelling family circumstances.

Sh. #SKSaha, IRSS, HAG rank officer who was earlier Chairman #RRB, Malda had requested to be accommodated at #CLW, Chittaranjan at vacant post available. However, he was sent forcefully to #BLW Varanasi and was even forced to be relieved.

Sh. #ManojKumar, IRSS was shunted forcefully and unceremoniously from #BLW, Varanasi to #NWR, knowing the fact that the academic session of the children of the officer was underway.

Sh. #SureshChandra, IRSS on return from his deputation from #RITES requested for his posting in the northern region was regretted and the officer was forcefully moved to #CLW, Chittranjan.

Around 12 officers with illustrious service records have taken voluntary retirement – whose names are mentioned in the article as follows – due to mistreatment done by both Mr Gupta and Mr Yadav.

As reported by an officer keeping his anonymity, An erudite officer Sh. Sunil Rambhau Barapatre, IRSS, NF-HAG, 1992 batch recently took voluntary retirement due to mistreatment done at the hands of Sh. Atul Gupta, AM/RS and Sh. Ajeet Yadav, EDRS(P). Sh. Barapatre holds plenty of experience in procurement, supply chain and all aspects of materials management including exposure to higher education, #IRLMM (Indian Railway Institute of Logistics and Materials Management). Sh. Barapatre had a successful tenure of #ADRM at #Rajkot and due to his compelling family requirements, he requested for posting him at #CentralRailway or #WesternRailway or #NAIR. He would have been a great asset for the incoming probationary officers due to his knowledge and experience. But unfortunately, he was thrown in South Western Railway (#SWR) in Hubli and finally took voluntary retirement w.e.f. 10.02.2023.

In order to adjust Sh. #RajeshGupta, IRSS – who happens to be a relative of Sh. Atul Gupta – and Sh. #SunilNandankar was shifted from Central Railway to #NAIR as #SPMM, while Sh. #SunilBarapatre, an officer of more competency, experience, knowledge and seniority was available for posting, but unfortunately Sh. Barapatre’s request was regretted by those who finally took voluntary retirement as described above.

Sh. #SKGangal, IRSS who had even less than 02 years of service in Central Railway was transferred from Central Railway to West Central Railway (#WCR) on 01.04.2022 within 02 years of his transfer from Western Railway. Finally due to personal reasons and compelling family circumstances, Sh. Gangal took voluntary retirement from service w.e.f. 31.01.2023.

Sh. #HarishGupta, IRSS, HAG – a close associate of Atul Gupta – rank officer was shifted from #CORE to #NWR on 02.05.2022 just before his retirement so that he could settle down in Jaipur post-retirement. If such consideration is there then why not Sh. Anil Ramteke was accommodated at Central Railway till retirement so that he could settle easily? Why are there dual standards followed by Mr Atul Gupta?

Another officer told that Sh. #RajneeshKumar, IRSS who was a confidant of Atul Gupta was shifted from #SWR – where total procurement budget is approx. 250 crore – to #BLW, Varanasi – where procurement budget is in thousands crores. Question arises why was Rajneesh Kumar shunted to such an earning post even before completion of his tenure in SWR?

Sh. #PrateekGoswami, IRSS was shifted from #ICF, Chennai to Mumbai #CentralRailway in less than 01 year as #SDGM violating all vigilance guidelines. Mr #Goswami has already spent 25 years in Mumbai, then again the question arises why was he posted in Mumbai? Answer to which again lies in #regionalism (Rajasthan Mania).

Recently, officers like Sh. #Yadvendu, Sh. #Sorte, Sh. #Dudeja have been posted in Mumbai while they have spent almost 20 years of their career in #Mumbai. Again this happened at the helm of other officers and power of money prevailed.

Sh. #AshokVerma, IRSS who was first shifted from #NWR to #ECR, and thereafter he was serving as #PCMM, #CLW, was transferred again to #NWR before completion of tenure of his posting on 30.09.2022. This happened again because of the Rajasthan connection, as Atul Gupta is also settling in #Jaipur, #Rajasthan post-retirement.

From our sources we also got the information that Sh. #RajivKhandelwal, IRSS officer was promoted to HAG in May, 2023 and was posted from Central Railway to Western Railway as #CMM/Admin. On July, 31, 2023 #PCMM/MCF #NDRao retired and in just 03 months Sh. #RajivKhandelwal was sent to #MCF, Raebareli. Has this happened because Mr Gupta took hefty hafta for this posting as PCMM/MCF, Raebareli?

Sh. #SKJain, IRSS was made PCMM again in Northern Railway, while many senior officers were contenders for that post. Mr Atul Gupta favoured Mr Jain by bypassing all of them, so shouldn’t it mean that he favoured his Biradari?

What was the justification for posting Sh. #AshishJain, IRSS who was immediately transferred to the Production Unit – MCF, after he had a serious complaint in #COFMAO? What is the meaning of this?

How Mr Atul Gupta played the game and obliged his batchmate in the case of forced transfer of another Senior IRSS officer from MCF by the Railway Board, and how they both benefited each other, is also well known!

Sh. #RKSingh, IRSS, NF-HAG rank officer requested for #CentralRailway or #WesternRailway as his son had got admission in IIT, Mumbai. But unfortunately, he was forcefully shunted to #MCF, Raebareli. But in the case of Sh. #MahabalSingh, IRSS who happens to be the batchmate of Sh. #AjeetYadav was sent to #NorthernRailway – as requested by him due to his son’s admission in IIT Delhi.

Mr Gupta also ensured that no officer from #IRSS cadre joins PED/Vigilance, Railway Board after Sh. #CVRaman left for #GMNER. Sh. #HemantKumar, IRSS officer who has spent his tenure as Chief Technical examiner (#CTE) of Central Vigilance Commission (#CVC) for 04 years and most suitable for such post was shunted to East Central Railway as #PCMM.

Sh. #SureshMeghnani, IRSS has been adjusted as #EDRS/Wagon, Railway Board recently who has done his complete service in Delhi. Sh. #AppaRao, IRSS who is serving as #EDRS from the last 05 years, his tenure has been extended beyond the posting tenure of the Railway Board for reasons better known to Mr Atul Gupta.

Being cadre controlling authority, Mr Atul Gupta and Mr Ajeet Yadav, their prime responsibility is to assess the anticipated vacancy and prepare panel for the year and issue promotion orders. It is noted that the panel prepared in the year 2022-23 was lapsed and only 04 officers out of 11 got #SAG promotion. Seven Group-B officers could not get SAG due to illegal and hefty demands from both Mr Gupta and Mr Yadav. Question arises when panel was prepared considering the vacancy arising due to anticipated #retirement, how come these officers did not get promotion in last year panel?

In the current year, 2023-24, the SAG panel of the current year got exhausted in June, 2023. Question arises when the officers who have been assigned the role of cadre controlling officer were not able to assess the number of retirements, whether such officers are capable of holding such a sensitive and important portfolio?

The allegations against Sh. Atul Gupta and Sh. Ajeet Yadav paints a troubling picture of #nepotism, #regionalism, and #corruption within the leadership of the Indian Railways. These accusations, if substantiated, could have serious consequences for the organisation’s #integrity and the #welfare of its officers. This behaviour has reportedly taken a toll on the morale and well-being of officers. The repercussions of Mr Gupta and Mr Yadav’s actions have been deeply felt within the #IRSS cadre.

A significant number of officers, some with illustrious service records, have opted for voluntary retirement (#VRS) due to the mistreatment and arbitrary decision-making attributed to the duo. This mass exodus of experienced personnel has resulted in a loss of expertise and a weakened organisational structure.

It is imperative that these allegations are thoroughly investigated, and if found to be true, appropriate action is taken to restore #transparency, #fairness, and #professionalism within the #IndianRailways. The organisation’s reputation and the trust of its employees and the public are at stake, and it is crucial that swift action is taken to address these serious concerns.