What can we do with Indian Railways? Our organization…. (Rough draft)

It is difficult find a Indian Railway manager who is satisfied with whats going on with Indian Railways, unless he has already turned a cynic and given up on it. Discussions often turn to the need for radical change, at all levels, concerning everything, etc,. These changes however need a bigger muscle power, be it political, bureaucratic, or even manpower, and will only come when the time is ripe, and if I(or incase YOU) reach the top and DECIDE to turn the tables. What till then…….

Working with the Indian Railways, one comes across numerous instances wherein concrete steps can be taken even now and we would make a marked difference. I am attempting to pendown what comes to my mind, and request others to do the same. Atleast, let us have a list of what is possible immediately, and is not coming through because of lack of ideas at the highest level, or their apathy to decide where to start in this all around mess.

Ofcourse, this does not come in the way of

• Need to restructure the organizations managerial caders
• Linking of passenger fares with the price index
• Build more transport capacity(DFC) on PRIORITY…… let us say 3 years.
• Start using the railway land for commercial purposes, sell it if required, buy more if required, and once and for all let the Railways land management issues precipitate with the state governments so that land does not become a liability in the way of railways progress, but is rather seen as an asset….
• Clean railwaysThe all powerful and most powerful person (if he wants to feel as one) is the General Manager, and his powers are defined by what he cannot do and not by what he can do. However, DRM’s powers are also unrestricted, but for a different reason (i.e., people do not question him). I feel between the two much can be done. Ofcourse, branch officers are also a powerful level and many a things get addressed at their level also. Let me attempt to identify and open a platform of ideas, of what we feel can be done and ofcourse HOW.

  a) Schedule of Powers: The schedule of powers define what the GM decides to delegates down.

  • As the SOP becomes the deciding mechanism of what the GM wants to do himself(personally) and what he expects people lower down from him to handle on his behalf, hence revision of SOP should be one of the personal responsibilities of the GM.
  • All powers in the SOP, should have a date of introduction. The monetary values should automatically be subject to revision every 2 years and should be sumoto issued.
  • An ambiguity in interpretation of the SOP should be immediately addressed as it leads to a lot of wastage of management energy.
  • My personal recommendation: Assign a date to every monetary value. Revise it as per WPI or CPI. If a finance officer asks what is CPI or WPI, sack him.

  b) Uniforms: In today’s age why should Railways buy and supply uniforms to its staff. If railways wants it staff to be uniform, it should give them an allowance and then leave no space for the staff not to wear their uniform on duty. Supply of uniform is the staff’s way of ensuring that the management tie up its legs in shackles and not ask the staff to wear uniform.

• VERY SIMPLY, each railway should review the market and prescribe the rate of each uniform item, and each employees salary bill would have this amount credited to his pay account on the first of April of each year. Is there anything in the rules that prevents the GM from issuing these orders.
• Some Northern railway procedures requiring immediate redressal.
• The requirement for uniforms in 2016-2017 is required to be identified and vetted indents placed on stores in 2012-2013.
  • Why vetted? And why vetted from finance? If uniform is as per the number of staff of posted the vetting should be done by personnel of the expected number of people likely to be in service on that day, when the uniforms would come.
    • What happens when Accounts is asked to vett the requirement? Who will answer this question and how when the total implication of this is Rs 200/- in an indent of Rs 5 lacs.
    • As per IR uniform policy, sikh men will be provided turban cloth. Why does one sikh gentle man ask for 11 meters of turban cloth and why does one ask 16 meters.
    • As per IR uniform policy, lady employees are to be provided with blouse cloths. Why does a lady employee in a “C” class city ask for 120mm of cloth for her blouse and why does an employee in a “A” class city ask for 80mm of blouse cloth.
  • Why so early? And why does the pinpointing need to be done so early at the lowest level. The number of railway staff is known, so is their retirement profile. CANNOT the stores plan in advance, based on past trends or future anticipations and buy cloth in that magnitude. On the other hand, why does our stores wing need 3 years to purchase something that they neither manufacture, nor stitch, but is an off the shelf item.
  • My personal recommendation: Cash in lieu of uniforms, with specified shade and of clothes and explicit uniform specification.

  c) Cash Imperest: The cash imperest policy over Indian railways is antiquated.

  • It comes from the British era of no trust in your men. You have recruited thugs into the system who are out to rob the country and its people.
  • Nothing is available in the local market. A antiquated assumption, which is still continuing. Today it is different.
  • Departmental divisions are going deeper and deeper. Computer is a EDP/S&T item and no one can buy a computer spare, though they are readily available and everyone buys it personally using his own judgement. Why can’t a civil engineers judgement on his personal computer be honored.. and why does EDP or S&T vett his requirement.
  • My personal recommendation: Each Officer to have a cash imperest debit card for railway related expenses upto one month of his salary every month, no questions asked. Same with depot incharges and each senior supervisor who’s responsibility area can be clearly defined.

d) Bio Toilets:

e) Pay and use toilet schemes: these guys are making a favor on railways and should not be seen as a revenue source.

SOMETHINGS SHAKE YOU TO THE CORE!

The unfolding story of how Shri Mahesh Kumar lobbied for ML’s post through bribe is one overtime going to be identified either as a nail in the coffin of railways or the turning point (more probability of the earlier). This single incident is going to have very large ramifications on railway working, image of the railways and the railway men, morale of the railway men, funds made available to the railway men, and above all my career with the railways. This incident is hurting so bad that one gets shaken to the core and just looses his orientation (atleast for my self)

It is necessary for me to pen down why he feel the effects of this incident

a) Railway ministry is politically jinxed: At the political level nothing seems to be happening correct for the railways. First, for 10 years the ministry is with allied partners, secondly, when someone with courage takes over (Mr Diwedi) and tries something long required he is unceremoniously discharged, thirdly, when a supposedly main line minister comes in and with loud claims of being a clean guy, he is taken down by his ACE card of claim to position — Leadership!! There goes our wish of competent political boss.

b) Financial crisis: The biggest problem with railways is finances and we go around the government, with a begging bowl, asking for money to fund our development. We never got it till now, and now we have lost the moral right to even ask for it……. So Indian Railways wants more money for its infrastructure projects so that it can squander it away….. Development!! There goes our wish of having more money for development.

c) Honesty: We have been a relatively clean government department, and we used to be proud of it! With 15 lacs railway employees, every family in the country has a railway men in his connection. We railway men (with the exception of the Railway TTE), were seen as hard working, honest people, who kept the wheels of the rail moving 24X7X365 without regard to self or family. Mr Mahesh Kumar just given a motive to our self less service to the nation– Honesty!! There goes our wish of being recognized as an honorable Indian.

Having lost confidence in leadership, development, and honesty, there is little that the organization has to offer now!!

For me, I have no opinion about whether Rajiv Gandhi was or was not a beneficiary in the Bofors case, but this case harmed the country as none other. When I was haggling with a Rickshaw wala and cajoling him to take the correct fare from me over 20 years back, he had simply remarked that there is nothing correct, as the PM is also dishonest. Corruption that day for me had penetrated the arteries and veins of the Indian Society. On this day, corruption has entered the vein and artery of Indian Railways, or atleast each one of us will be perceived as being corrupt by the common men (truth, reality, personality, individual not withstanding).