Title - A day after rot, contractor swings into action

VADODARA: A day after about thousands of wheat bags got drenched in rain waters at the Vadodara railway station, the Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) is yet to take any action in the incident.CWC officials maintained that they will take action only after assessing the extent to which the wheat bags have been damaged.About 24,000 wheat bags were left to rot at the railway station yard for three days as the contractor failed to shift them to the CWC godown in Chhani.CWC regional manager V K Tyagi said that the contractor will be penalized. On Monday, the wheat bags were being shifted from the railway yard to the CWC godown with urgency. After media highlighted the issue on Monday, the contractor, who had failed to move the wheat bags in time by citing rains as the reason, was seen shifting the bags on war-footing from the railway yard to the CWC godown."About 80 per cent of the bags were shifted to CWC godown on Monday. Once all the bags reach the godown, we will assess the damage. The contractor will then be penalized for the delay that led to the incident," Tyagi told TOI.The CWC may impose financial penalty on the contractor for failing to move the bags in time. But CWC seemed to be downplaying the incident.Junior railways minister, Bharatsinh Solanki released a letter written by Vadodara railway division DRM NK Shukla on Monday. The letter states 'Mr Tyagi of CWC also stated that about 2,000 bags on the sides of the heaps have become wet, but the goods have not been damaged, because the after taking it to the depot they will dry up the grains and retrieve it fully.'

But the scenario was completely contrasting at the railway yard on Sunday. Stray cattle were seen feeding on the wheat falling out of the bags. Many bags were soaked in the water-logged road next to the wagons.

The letter also quotes Tyagi saying that when the bags were unloaded on the ground there were no rains but since midnight of August 11 there has been continuous rainfall that resulted into slow shifting by the contractor.

"Rlys not responsible for damage"

Junior railways minister Bharatsinh Solanki on Monday tried to wash his hands off the incident and said that the railways is not responsible for the wheat bags damage. Solanki said that the responsibility of the railways is to carry the goods from one place to another. "Once the goods are offloaded, responsibility of the railways ends. The wheat bags were offloaded from the wagons and the contractor should have shifted them in time," Solanki said. When asked whether the railways will erect sheds to store such goods temporarily, Solanki said that the development is a continuous process in the railways and they will keep upgrading their services.

Times View

The criminal waste of foodgrains meant for the public distribution system and open market is indicative of the systemic failure involving multiple agencies like the Central Warehousing Corporation, Food Corporation of India and Indian Railways. It is not enough if only the contractor is held accountable. More heads should roll.