CONTENTS - Central Public Works Department

246 SECTION 40
SECTION 40
LOSSES OR DAMAGES OF/TO STORES
40.1 Booking of stores
(1) Definite and clear instructions are required to be given in the indent/order with regard to mode of
despatch and consignee’s address, which are very necessary for correct and intact delivery of
the stores. To avoid losses and damages to the stores in transit, the following information should
be as detailed as possible as not to leave any loophole for any dispute or misinterpretation at a
later stage :-
(i) Consignee’s postal and telegraphic address.
(ii) Station of dispatch (Railway region should be clearly indicated).
(iii) Whether to be booked by Goods train, Passenger train, Quick Transport Service of Railway,
where available.
(iv) Whether to be booked at owner’s risk or Railway risk.
(v) Whether it should be covered by transit risk insurance.
(2) Where for booking of goods by rail or road, an enhanced risk is provided, additional charges
above those prescribed for the booking of goods at owner’s risk rate, being in the nature of insurance
charges, such additional expenditure for booking goods at Railway risk shall be incurred as per
power delegated.
(3) In cases where there is only one set of rates for carriage of goods by rail, and there are no
alternative owner’s risk rates, such charges are treated as freight charges.
(4) Air lifting of stores should be resorted to only in rare cases of extreme urgency in consultation with
the Internal Financial Adviser.
40.2 Taking delivery of consignment
(1) The consignee is responsible for verifying at the time of taking delivery from the Railway authorities
that the stores have been received intact without loss or damages. When stores are despatched
in full wagonloads, the consignee should verify that the seals of the wagon are intact. If the seals
are found tampered with or broken, delivery should be taken in the presence of responsible Railway
officials. If there is evidence of loss or damages, necessary certificates to that effect should be
obtained from the appropriate Railway officials before taking delivery. The loss or damage should
in every case be promptly reported to the suppliers, Purchase Officer who places the order, as
well as the Pay and Accounts Officer (Supply) responsible for payment for the stores, as otherwise
the consignee will be deemed to have accepted the stores. In any event, the consignee should not
give a receipt certificate to the supplier before checking and verifying the stores. Railway receipts
for consignment of materials should be endorsed in favour of the Stores Keeper or Junior Engineer
or any other responsible officer of the Department, who should personally take delivery of
Government stores, and hand them over to the carriage contractor.
(2) Where due to any practical difficulties, it is not possible to deploy any departmental officer for
keeping a watch on the arrival of consignment and to take delivery thereof after completing
formalities, and it is intended to endorse the Railway Receipts in the name of the carriage or
cartage contractor, a condition for obtaining an additional security in the shape of bank guarantee
should be stipulated in the tenders for carriage of materials. The amount of the security in the
shape of bank guarantee should be 10% of the contract amount, and this will be in addition to the
normal cash security deposit recoverable from the contractor’s bill as per usual terms of agreement.
This condition will apply to all annual carriage contracts and can also be applied even for such
contracts that may extend over a long period but less than a year.