Download 2 - Central Bureau of Investigation

'LObbies have dictatedtop rail appointments'Pressure Groups' Clash May Have Led To ExposeMahendraSinghNewDelht:The'jobsforsale' scamunearthedby the CBI has putthe spotlight on the open secretof railway contractors and industry lobbiesmanipulating key appointments at thetop, including members in the Railway Boardand general managers of the 17 zones.Many inrailways suspectthat the arrest ofMaheshlCumar,member (staff) who was "buying"the post of member (electrical) in theRailway Board, was a result of a fightbetweendifferent industry lobbies pushing their owncandidateforthe crucialpost of member(electrical)who handles signal and telecom, alongwith electrical projects.An insider told the TO! that appointmentof officers from signal and telecom disciplineto which Mahesh l{umarbelongs has alwaysbeen met with opposition, hinting that pressuregroupswere at work and may have aroleinKumar's exposeThe intrusion of contractors - and manufacturers'lobby in railways became very evidentwhen a senior member who was viewedas "clean" in the Railway Board could not reachthe top because his candidature wasblocked by the Bengal-based wagon manufacturinglobbyrecentlyIt hasbecome a regular practice to keepmember's posts in Railway Board vacant toplace a "suitable" candidate, keeping the optionopenfor big contractors, manufacturers and industrylobbies who are keen to sponsor theirown candidate to get favourable returns afterhe/she occupies the post. The post of member(engineering), which wasfilledrecently after directivefrom the top government leadership,waskeptvacanttoaccommodateaparticularofficerforwhom differentlobbies were working.The stakes are high considering the member(electrical) is key in decision-making fortenderingand executingprojects in the signaland telecom sector where costly foreign technologyisencouraged. According to a railwayofficial, the favoured option in the railways ingeneral and in the signal, telecom and electricalsector in particular, is "to give preferencetopurchase overproduction" asit comes withhuge gratification to officials concerned intermsof cuts and commission.The "manipulations" have become so brazenthat one such incident which came to the lightwasfloating of a global tender by the board withoutthe knowledge of the general manager concernedof a coach factory The GM concernedwasembarrassed after receiving calls from embassiesregarding the tender. The tenderwascancelledafterojectionraisedby another memberThe pressure of contractors,manufacturersand industry lobbies is so high that it hasFor steps to download the free Alive app, see PlCentre worried only about'nephews & uncles': ModiNarendra Modi on Sunday slammedGujaratCMthe Union governmentforallegedly ignoringthe state government's demand aboutconstruction of gatesat SardarsarovarNarmadadam,and said the Centre wasonly concernedabout "nephews and uncles"."l alongwith our(BJP) leaders like Parsottam Rupala and L XAdvani have urged the the PM nearly 25times,seeking Centre's permission toconstruct gatesatSardar Sarovar dam, but he does not pay anyattention," Modi said while addressing agathering atDevdatown,which isfacing an acutewater scarcity. "Ifgates are installed, the waterproblemofMaharashtratoowill besolved.ButtheCongress is not concerned about its own-ruledstates as well. They are only worried aboutnephews, uncles...see how nephews have alsojumped intothegame," Modi said. INNbecome a regular practice to start procurementprocessbefore finalization and approvalof the designs and specifications. This is doneto suit a particular private company"Many a time designs and specificationsare tempered to suit a particular manufacturer,"said a railway official, adding that suchfaulty moveshave resulted in huge loss to thenational transporter as equipment worthhundreds of crores brought before approvalare dumped in stores and factories. The intrusionof manufacturers is sorampant that whilethere is shortage of EMUs indifferentrailwayszone, 150 EMUs are out of use as they are not interchangeablebecauseeach zone uses itsowndesigned EMUs. "There has been deliberate attemptto not to standardize specifications ofEMU because this suits manufactures and industryplayers,"an officialsaid.-