Sub-standard bed sheets: CBI to focus on inspection reports to nail culprits in SCR
4 Jan 2025 11:21 PM IST
Uttar Pradesh-based Bunkar Jantiya Hathkargha Sahakar Samithi Ltd (BJHSSL), which obtained a purchase order (PO) to supply bed sheets to South Central Railway (SCR), Secunderabad, reportedly influenced some officials and supplied low quality material. (Image: DC)
Hyderabad: The Uttar Pradesh-based Bunkar Jantiya Hathkargha Sahakar Samithi Ltd (BJHSSL), which obtained a purchase order (PO) to supply bed sheets to South Central Railway (SCR), Secunderabad, reportedly influenced some officials and supplied low quality material.
A day after CBI registered cases, the agency officials focused on internal and inspection reports to establish the offence.
According to officials, BJHSSL supplied 1.4 lakh bed sheets on October 5 and 6 last year. On receiving complaints over the poor quality of the material, the SCR vigilance department conducted checks and sent samples to the textile committee atHyderabad for testing.
According to officials, BJHSSL supplied 1.4 lakh bed sheets on October 5 and 6 last year. On receiving complaints over the poor quality of the material, the SCR vigilance department conducted checks and sent samples to the textile committee at
"The test report dated November 9, 2023, disclosed that the supplies made by BJHSSL were not in accordance with the specifications,” the CBI said. Accordingly, the vigilance department's letter dated November 10, 2023 along with the test report was forwarded to the consignee general and signal stores depot (G&S/stores depot), Mettuguda, and principal chief materials manager (PCMM), SCR for action.
Conspiring to cheat SCR, BJHSSL in its letter on September 14, 2023, falsely reported that RITES, which is the inspecting agency for testing the quality of bed sheets as per the purchase order dated July 28, 2023, did not inspect the material claiming that they are overburdened.
BJHSSL urged SCR to change the inspection agency. Accordingly, the PCMM issued a letter on September 15, 2023 replacing RITES with Intertek India Pvt Ltd., while allegedly deliberately ignoring to verify the genuineness of BJHSSL’s claim. They also did not intimate the change made with regard to the inspecting agency.
Taking advantage, BJHSSL supplied substandard bed sheets in two lots and obtained wrongful gain.
Without following the prescribed procedure and opening multiple e-office files, the PCCM issued modification advice (MA) changing the inspection agency from RITES to Intertek India Pvt. Ltd., without making the change in IMMS (Integrated Material Management System).
Subsequently, the deputy CMM/HQ issued unauthorised directions to G&S stores depot and the mechanical coaching depots at Hyderabad and Secunderabad for diverting and accepting the material in the name of emergency minus any indent.
By this manipulation, BJHSSL caused SCR a loss of `78,27,946, which is yet to be recovered.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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