Howrah. The Parcel Department of Howrah Division was caught by the web of corruption so much that the Vigilance has to turn its eyes. Sometimes the case of underweight and sometimes overloading or sending goods without booking is coming to the fore one after the other. Despite this, the departmental officer is shying away from taking action against the employees involved in corruption. According to sources, on June 23, the goods sent from ER Out Ward Super Godown were being loaded on Platform 19 in a parcel van of 00327 Up Agartala Kovid Special. Meanwhile, a four-member team of Railway Vigilance conducted raids.
Vigilance did not get loading guidance with the loader. Also 80 pieces were found to be underweight. Vigilance took action and collected a fine of 80 thousand. But no action was taken by the officers of the commercial department against the employees responsible for corruption. CPC (Dispatch and Weighing Clerk) Shobhan Bhattacharya, Super Godown Incharge Sudhanshu Shekhar and CPLI Divendu Biswas have also come under the scanner due to this incident. The matter of corruption in parcels with the connivance of departmental officers did not end here.
I am not aware of any case of underweight or overloading in the parcel department. I have not got any information from Vigilance also. Can’t say anything on this till the information is not available officially. Parcel area is open area. Anyone who keeps luggage here, Vigilance catches it and charges it.
Rajeev Ranjan, Sr. DCM, Howrah Railway Division
On June 22 also, Vigilance checked the parcel van of Dhauli Express, in which a case of underweight was caught. Vigilance had also collected an under charge of four thousand. On the same day, Vigilance checked the VP of Poorva Express at the Old Complex. Loader did not have record of 4 nos in the loading guidance. A fine of 33 thousand was also collected in this case. In this incident also Parvet Santra, Parcel Babu Parvit Santra and Shed Incharge Sudhanshu Shekhar came under the scanner in the Eastern Railway Super Godown. Apart from this, on June 21, the Vigilance team checked the goods being loaded in the parcel van of Gitanjali Express. Vigilance did not get loading guidance with the loader here too. After this the Vigilance team reached SER out ward shed number 9. When the Vigilance started questioning about the disturbances with the parcel Babu Shivnath Chatterjee, who was on duty, he fell on the ground after being unwell.
On 10th April also, 06.80 tonnes of goods were loaded in R/SLR with capacity of 3.9 tonnes of 05959 Up Express leaving Howrah. When there was a problem in the movement of the train, after checking the SLR at New Alipurduar, the excess baggage was unloaded. Despite frequent corruption cases coming to the fore from the Parcel Department, the top officials of the Commerce Department are busy covering up their performance instead of taking strict action against such employees.