South Western Railway operated a train with less than 2 percent occupancy for six years, resulting in a loss of Rs 17.47 crore, according to a Comptroller and Auditor General of India’s report.
The train (12691/12692) was run between April 2017 to March 2023 between Bengaluru and Shri Satya Sai Prasanti Nilayam stations, the CAG report said in Parliament on Monday.
The entire report included 25 audit conclusions from different railway areas across the country, pointing to cases of undercharges or overpers of Rs 543.17 crore.
One of the findings of the operating department of the Bengaluru Division, which falls under the South Western Railway (SWR) region, suggested that both the zonal headquarters and the Ministry of Railways did not take any corrective measures despite being aware of poor occupants.
The report said that the prescribed criteria of the Ministry of Railways states that if both reserved and unreserved houses were both average for average 30 percent for the whole year in both directions, zonal railways can carry forward the proposal to the Railway Board for cancellation of such vehicles and final decisions.
According to the audit, the said train was operated through KSR Bangalore (SBC) station between Chennai Central (MAS) station and Sri Sathya Sai Prasanti Nilayam (SSPN) station and poor protection between SBC station and SSPN station in both directions.
The Rail Division submitted a proposal to its headquarters with various suggestions such as ending the train at an intermediate station rather than running to the original destination station, diversity, etc. to improve the occupancy. However, none of the above proposals were implemented, the report states.
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“Audit examined the occupation of the train between SSPN station and SBC station (to and FRO) for a period from April 2017 to March 2023 and it was observed that the train was less than 2 percent in the above period,” it was said.
It said, “The operating cost of the train was very large, and the damage due to running the train between these stations was to the tune of Rs 17.47 crore during this period.” The audit recorded the statement of the zonal headquarters, stating that the above train was from time to time, it required the approval of the Ministry of Railways to end it.
It further said that a proposal to abolish the train at Bangalore Cantt (BNC) station was sent to the Ministry of Railways in June 2022, which was waiting for approval.
“The response to the zonal railway administration indicates a collective failure. It shows that the problem was exposed by the SBC Division in December 2016, but the zonal railway administration brought the issue to the notice of MOR (Railway Ministry) only six years later,” the audit said.
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“Further, even after a year of submission by the zonal Railways, even after a lapse, a final decision on the same is yet to be taken by the peacock.” The audit report has also recorded that the matter was sent to Mor in February 2024, but no reply was received till July 2024.
The CAG recommended, “The Ministry of Railways should review the operation of the train and make a proper decision in light of the suggestions made by SBC Division and SWR Zone.”
“In bringing this issue into peacock notice, the delay can be investigated by the Zonal Railways and the responsibility can be fixed,” said this.
(Tagstotransite) Southwest Railway
