ProUI

Former minister Pawan Bansal may have been given a clean chit by the CBI, but transcripts phone conversations between the key accused  the railway bribery scam has thrown light upon how the former minister’s nephew Vijay Singla used his connections to secure a posting for former Railway Board member Mahesh Kumar.The transcripts raise questions about the Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal’s role in the scam as the key players allegedly met in his official residence and also called on his land line to fix the appointment.It raises questions on how Bansal was unaware of the deal when it was happening right under his nose.Bansal was forced to resign from the post of Railway Minister after Singla was caught with Rs 1 crore in cash for fixing the appointment of  Kumar.IBN-Live quotes Manjunath, who is close to Kumar, in one of the transcripts as saying, “We are giving Rs 1 crore immediately. We don’t have more in black. We will have to convert white money into black. That will take time. Also please tell Vijay Singla to promote Mahesh Kumar to the post of Member Electrical.”Bansal was, however, given a clean chit by the CBI in the Rs 10 crore cash-for-post scam and also named a prosecution witness. CBI sources said they have concluded this case and did not find “prosecutable evidence” against Bansal.

Kumar, who desperately wanted to be promoted to the post of Member Electrical. Investigations have revealed that Kumar was willing to pay any price to get this, reported IBN-Live.

Here is the conversation revealed in the transcript accessed by CNN-IBN:

Narayan Rao Manjunath: I can fix a meeting with Sandeep Goyal if you want. Goyal is very close to the Railways Minister and he can get you promoted as Member Electrical. Should I go ahead? Mahesh Kumar: Go ahead and fix the meeting.

Following this conversation, a meeting allegedly took place between Mahesh Kumar, Manjunath and Sandeep Goyal in Taj Palace, Mumbai on the 30 March, 2013. The very next day, Goyal allegedly called his friend Ajay Garg.

Phone transcript (31 March, 2013):

Sandeep Goyal: We met Mahesh Kumar yesterday. He wants to meet Vijay Singla directly.

Ajay Garg: Let him meet Vijay then, what is the problem?

Sandeep Goyal: You please arrange a meeting between Vijay Singhla and Mahesh Kumar in Delhi.

On 7 April, 2013, Mahesh Kumar allegedly met Singla at the official residence of the then Railways Minister.

Phone transcript of a conversation between Sandeep Goyal and Manjunath (April 8, 2013):

Sandeep Goyal: We met yesterday.

Manjunath: Then?

Sandeep Goyal: Mahesh Kumar wants to be Member Electrical. I think we will be able to get it done.

Sandeep Goyal speaks to Mahesh Kumar (17 March, 2013):

Sandeep Goyal: Please call up Vijay Singhla once and remind him. He is at the residence of the Railways Minister and you can call him on his landline number.

Mahesh Kumar: Okay.

As per the CBI’s chargesheet, Mahesh Kumar called up Singhla immediately at the official landline number of Bansal. After the conversation, Mahesh Kumar told Manjunath to go and meet Vijay Singhla in Chandigarh.

Mahesh Kumar: You please go to Delhi and meet Vijay Singhla. He wants to discuss something about the transfer.

Manjunath: Okay.

Mahesh Kumar: Also tell him that I am sending a Rs 200 crore proposal to the Railway Board. He will benefit from it.

In the subsequent conversation, he allegedly told Mahesh Kumar to go to Chandigarh instead.

Mahesh Kumar: You will now go to Chandigarh on 19 April. Vijay Singhla’s mobile number is xxxxx. And tell him we will give a catering contract to his company. Also add that Mahesh Kumar will be very helpful to him and his friend Sandeep Goyal.

According to the chargesheet, a Rs 10 crore deal was struck on 19 April. But the subsequent phone conversation suggests the deal wasn’t working out.

Mahesh Kumar: You tell Sandeep Goyal that if Member Electrical isn’t working out then make me Member Staff, and let me hold additional charge of S&T and GM Western Railways.

Manjunath: Absolutely.

Conversation between Manjunath and Sandeep Goyal:

Manjunath: Please arrange additional charge of S&T, GM Western Railways with Member Staff Charge.

Sandeep Goyal: You are asking for a lot, it will cost Rs 5 crore and nothing less.

Manjunath then allegedly spoke to Mahesh Kumar.

Manjunath: They are asking for Rs 5 crore.

Mahesh Kumar: That’s too much.

Manjunath: Let us do one thing, we will tell them that we will give 25 percent if you are made Member Electrical and Rs 2 crore if you are made Member Staff with additional charge of S&T and GM Western Railway.

Mahesh Kumar: That sounds fine.

The CBI said Manjunath conveyed this to Sandeep Goyal on 30 April and Goyal agreed to take Rs 2 crore as initial payment. But at this point, Mahesh Kumar got desperate.

Mahesh Kumar: Arrange Rs 2 crore. If you are having problems, then start speaking to other railway vendors. Tell them I will oblige them all.

Manjunath: Fine.

Manjunath then allegedly roped in three other vendors to collect the entire sum.

Phone transcript (30 April, 2013):

Manjunath: We will give you Rs 1 crore and the balance in four to five days.

Sandeep Goyal: Okay.

Phone transcript (30 April, 2013):

Mahesh Kumar: Tell Sandeep Goyal we will pay him the remaining Rs 1 crore after the work is done.

Manjunath: Okay.

Phone transcript (30 April, 2013):

Manjunath: We are giving Rs 1 crore immediately. We don’t have more in black. We will have to convert white money into black. That will take time. Also please tell Vijay Singla to promote Mahesh Kumar to the post of Member Electrical

Sandeep Goyal: Okay.

On 1 May, Mahesh Kumar was promoted to the post of Member Staff

Phone transcript (2 May, 2013):

Sandeep Goyal: What happened?

Manjunath: Rs 90 lakh is available.

Sandeep Goel: Send it.

Manjunath: Where?

Sandeep Goyal: Singla’s Chandigarh office.

Besides Bansal, the CBI has also named ex-Railway Board chairman Vinay Mittal, who retired from his post on 1 July this year, as a prosecution witness.

Railway Board’s Joint Secretary (confidential), P Rajeshkaran, and Joint Director Vigilance (Int), R Vijayan Nair, have also been named as witnesses by the CBI.

Besides them, several officials from various banks have been named as witnesses.

प्रतापगढ़। स्टेशन विस्तार की प्रक्रिया जल्द शुरू होने वाली है। पहले प्लेटफार्मों की संख्या बढ़ाई जाएगी इसके बाद वाशिंग लाइन का नंबर लगेगा। नई ट्रेन संचालन के पहले ही प्लेटफार्म बनाने की प्रक्रिया शुरू होगी।
स्टेशन को एक ट्रेन डेमू (डीजल इलेक्ट्रिक मल्टीपल यूनिट) मिली है। यह सुबह पांच बजे लखनऊ के लिए जाएगी और शाम चार बजे के करीब प्रतापगढ़ लौटेगी। रात में इस ट्रेन को खड़ी करने की जगह नहीं है। स्टेशन पर तीन प्लेटफार्म, एक लूप लाइन और एक वाशिंग लाइन है। रात में शटल और इंटरसिटी वाशिंग और प्लेटफार्म नंबर तीन पर खड़ी की जाती हैं। सुबह जब यह निकलती हैं तो इसी लाइन में पद्मावत और भोपाल एक्सप्रेस आकर खड़ी हो जाती हैं। यानी इन दोनों लाइनों पर ट्रेनें खड़ी रहती हैं। इसके अलावा यार्ड में मालगाड़ियां खड़ी की जाती हैं। स्टेशन को डेमू ट्रेन की सौगात तो मिल गई है लेकिन इसे खड़ी करने की जगह नहीं है। इस बारे में स्टेशन अधीक्षक ने सीनियर डीसीएम को अवगत कराया है। सीनियर डीसीएम ने स्टेशन पर प्लेटफार्मों की संख्या बढ़ाए जाने की बात कही है। बताया जा रहा है कि स्टेशन पर दो और प्लेटफार्म बढ़ाए जाएंगे। यही नहीं वाशिंग लाइन को प्लेटफार्म से जोड़ा जाएगा जबकि वाशिंग लाइन स्टेशन के पूर्वी छोर पर किनारे बनाई जाएगी। यह वाशिंग लाइन पुरानी वाशिंग लाइन से बड़ी होगी। प्लेटफार्म बढ़ाए जाने के बाद ही डेमू ट्रेन खड़ी होने की जगह बन सकेगी। इसका पूरा प्लान बना लिया गया है।
स्टेशन से लखनऊ के लिए डेमू ट्रेन चलने की घोषणा रेल बजट में हो गई थी। माना जा रहा था कि नई समय सारिणी बनने के बाद इसका संचालन किया जा सकता है। बावजूद इसके स्टेशन पर जगह न होने के कारण इस ट्रेन का संचालन अभी नहीं हो पा रहा है जबकि इसके समय का निर्धारण कर दिया गया है। अब इसे खड़ी करने की जगह तैयार होने के बाद संचालन शुरू होगा।
प्लेटफार्म बढ़ाए जाने के बाद यात्रियों को आने जाने में दिक्कत होगी। स्टेशन पर बने दोनों फुट ओवरब्रिज दो नंबर प्लेटफार्म पर जाकर खत्म हो जाते हैं। इसके लिए पुराने ओवरब्रिज से काम चलाने की योजना है। नए प्लेटफार्म पर पुराने ओवर ब्रिज से ही रास्ता तैयार किया जाएगा। पुराना ओवरब्रिज एक नंबर प्लेटफार्म से शुरू होकर रेलवे की पूर्वी कालोनी तक जाता है। ऐसे में प्लेटफार्म से इसे जोड़ना भर रहेगा। इससे यात्रियों का आवागमन शुरू हो जाएगा।
स्टेशन अधीक्षक केएन शर्मा ने बताया कि स्टेशन पर प्लेटफार्म बढ़ाए जाने की बात चल रही है। ट्रेन का संचालन कब से किया जाएगा इसे बताया नहीं गया है। प्लेटफार्म बन जाए तो इसे खड़ी करने की जगह तैयार हो जाए।

BHUBANESWAR: The East Coast Railway (ECoR) would install 24 CCTV cameras at Puri railway station to keep a close watch on anti-social activities during nine-day Rath Yatra, an official release said. "About 500 railway protection force (RPF) personnel, sniffer dogs and government railway police, consisting of 750 officers and cops, would be mobilized for an incident-free festival," a senior railway officer said.

Residents in Tripunithura are on a warpath alleging that Railway authorities have failed to keep their word that halts will be allowed for more express trains at Tripunithura Railway Station. Despite the promise, the proposal was not included in the new Railway timetable, which came to effect on July 1. According to the residents, authorities had promised halts for Parasuram Express, Island Express and Kerala Express at Tripunithura. “Now, people have been depending on North Railway Station as not much trains have halts at Tripunithura. Though the authorities are aware of the inconvenience caused owing to this, they are not willing to take any action in this regard. Though ticket revenue of the station is much higher than that of Karunagapally and Mavelikara stations, almost all express trains have halts there. Despite this, the authorities are reluctant to allow halts for a few more trains here,” said V P Prasad, chairman, Tripunithura Rajanagari Union of Residents Association (TRURA). Prasad alleged that the Railways are negligent about the developments of the station. “Though authorities have promised to upgrade the station to the status of an ‘adharsh’, no concrete steps have been taken in this regard,” he added. “The total seating capacity of the station must be increased to 160 from the current 60. Moreover, special facilities for physically challenged, toilets at all platforms, roof over platforms and drinking water supply must be ensured. It seems like the authorities are least interested in implementing the development works,” said TRURA secretary V C Jayendran. Though authorities have claimed that a tarred road to the station will be ready before the monsoon, there is no progress in this regard too, Jayendran said. “The issues include lack of lighting arrangements and inadequate staff at ticket counters. Now, the station master has to issue tickets and regulate the movement of all trains simultaneously. Also, the station has no waiting room as it is always locked,” they added. Meanwhile, Railway Area Manager P L Ashok Kumar said the development work of the station will be conducted soon. “As of now, we are not conducting any development works. The railway station will be upgraded to an adharsh station soon and discussions are on in this regard,” he said.

BHUBANESWAR: Bhubaneswar railway station presents a picture of contrast. While on one hand it boasts of hi-tech facilities like escalators, luggage scanners and touch screen enquiry terminals, on the other there are poor amenities and sanitation, garbage dumps and chaotic parking outside platform-4.

If you enter the railway station through Old Station Square, heaps of garbage will welcome you. And, inside dogs rule the platform 4.

"You will have to jostle your way through a narrow passage if you have to go to the station through platform 4. The entrance remains choc-a-bloc with vehicles," said former diplomat Abasar Beuria. He said the railways has neglected platform 4, which used to be the platform 1 when the railway station came up. "Many people prefer to exit through platform 1 even though the trains halt at platform 4," he added.

Ironically, East Coast Railway (ECoR) has engaged 91 contractual labourers to ensure cleanliness of four platforms. A reality check belies the sheer number.

The railway station witnesses around 55,000 footfall a day. "The sanitation in platform 1 is OK, but other three platforms are neglected," said passenger Kishor Patra.

The ECoR officials admitted that platform 4 is not as clean as platform 1. "Platform 4 is congested and there is lack of cleanliness because of encroachment. We are not able to stop unauthorized entry of visitors," said ECoR chief public relations officer J P Mishra. About the canine menace, he attributed it to jurisdictional problems. "We took up the matter with the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) two months back. The civic body is yet to take action," said Mishra. However, city mayor A N Jena said, "Suo motu we can't drive away dogs. ECoR authorities should request us to do it. We have not received any communication from ECoR."

BHUBANESWAR: The East Coast Railway (ECoR) would install 24 CCTV cameras at Puri railway station to keep a close watch on anti-social activities during nine-day Rath Yatra, an official release said. "About 500 railway protection force (RPF) personnel, sniffer dogs and government railway police, consisting of 750 officers and cops, would be mobilized for an incident-free festival," a senior railway officer said.

In order to clear extra rush of passengers towards Secunderabad & Nanded from Visakhapatnam, it has been decided to run special trains to avoid heavy waitlisted passengers in different regular trains.
VISAKHAPATNAM-NANDED
08509/08510 Visakhapatnam-Nanded-Visakhapatnam weekly Express special train will leave Visakhapatnam at 1930hrs o­n every Tuesday between 9th July to 30th July 2013 and will arrive at 1435hrs at Nanded o­n the following day. In the return direction, this train will leave Nanded at 1615hrs o­n every Wednesday between 10th July  to 31st July 2013 and will arrive at Visakhapatnam at 1015hrs o­n Thursday.
This train will have o­ne AC-2 tier, o­ne AC-3 tiers, 10 Sleeper Classes, Five General Second Class and two Guard cum luggage vans in its composition having stoppages at important stations between Visakhapatnam and Nanded.

TRAIN NO

FROM

TO

DAY

PERIOD

DEP. TIME
AT ORIGINATING STATIONS

ARR. TIME
AT DESTINATION STATIONS

08509

VISAKHAPATNAM

NANDED

TUE

09.07.13 to 30.07.13

1930HRS

1435 WED

08510

NANDED

VISAKHAPATNAM

WED

10.07.13 to 31.08.13

1615HRS

1015 THU

COMPOSITION

AC-2tier-1, AC-3 tier-1, Sleeper-10, General Second Class-5,  Guard cum Luggage Vans-2

STOPPAGES

VISAKHAPATNAM, RAJAHMUNDRY, TADEPALLIGUDAM, ELLURU, VIJAYAWADA, KAZIPET, SECUNDERABAD, KAMAREDDI, NIZAMABAD, MUDKHAD AND H.S.NANDED

VISAKHAPATNAM-SECUNDERABAD
07148/07147 Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam-Secunderabad weekly Express special train leaving Secunderabad at 2130hrs o­n every Friday between 5th July to 26th July 2013 and arriving at 1035hrs at Visakhapatnam o­n the following day. In the return direction, this train is leaving Visakhapatnam at 2000hrs o­n every Saturday between 6th July  to 27th July 2013 and arriving at Secunderabad at 0945hrs o­n next day.
This train will have Three AC-2 tiers, 10 AC-3 tiers, o­ne AC 1st Class and two Generator cum Guard vans in its composition having stoppages at important stations between Visakhapatnam and Secunderabad.

TRAIN NO

FROM

TO

DAY

PERIOD

DEP. TIME
AT ORIGINATING STATIONS

ARR. TIME
AT DESTINATION STATIONS

07148

SECUNDERABAD

VISAKHAPATNAM

FRI

05.07.13 TO 26.07.13

2130 HRS.

1035 HRS.

07147

VISAKHAPATNAM

SECUNDERABAD

SAT

06.07.13 TO 27.07.13

2000 HRS.

0945 HRS.

COMPOSITION

AC-2tier-1, AC-3 tier-1, Sleeper-10, General Second Class-5,  Guard cum Luggage Vans-2

STOPPAGES

VISAKHAPATNAM, RAJAHMUNDRY, TADEPALLIGUDAM, ELLURU, VIJAYAWADA, KAZIPET, SECUNDERABAD, KAMAREDDI, NIZAMABAD, MUDKHAD AND H.S.NANDED

BHUBANESWAR: Bhubaneswar railway station presents a picture of contrast. While on one hand it boasts of hi-tech facilities like escalators, luggage scanners and touch screen enquiry terminals, on the other there are poor amenities and sanitation, garbage dumps and chaotic parking outside platform-4.

If you enter the railway station through Old Station Square, heaps of garbage will welcome you. And, inside dogs rule the platform 4.

"You will have to jostle your way through a narrow passage if you have to go to the station through platform 4. The entrance remains choc-a-bloc with vehicles," said former diplomat Abasar Beuria. He said the railways has neglected platform 4, which used to be the platform 1 when the railway station came up. "Many people prefer to exit through platform 1 even though the trains halt at platform 4," he added.

Ironically, East Coast Railway (ECoR) has engaged 91 contractual labourers to ensure cleanliness of four platforms. A reality check belies the sheer number.

The railway station witnesses around 55,000 footfall a day. "The sanitation in platform 1 is OK, but other three platforms are neglected," said passenger Kishor Patra.

The ECoR officials admitted that platform 4 is not as clean as platform 1. "Platform 4 is congested and there is lack of cleanliness because of encroachment. We are not able to stop unauthorized entry of visitors," said ECoR chief public relations officer J P Mishra. About the canine menace, he attributed it to jurisdictional problems. "We took up the matter with the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) two months back. The civic body is yet to take action," said Mishra. However, city mayor A N Jena said, "Suo motu we can't drive away dogs. ECoR authorities should request us to do it. We have not received any communication from ECoR."

In order to clear extra rush of passengers towards Secunderabad & Nanded from Visakhapatnam, it has been decided to run special trains to avoid heavy waitlisted passengers in different regular trains.
VISAKHAPATNAM-NANDED
08509/08510 Visakhapatnam-Nanded-Visakhapatnam weekly Express special train will leave Visakhapatnam at 1930hrs o­n every Tuesday between 9th July to 30th July 2013 and will arrive at 1435hrs at Nanded o­n the following day. In the return direction, this train will leave Nanded at 1615hrs o­n every Wednesday between 10th July  to 31st July 2013 and will arrive at Visakhapatnam at 1015hrs o­n Thursday.
This train will have o­ne AC-2 tier, o­ne AC-3 tiers, 10 Sleeper Classes, Five General Second Class and two Guard cum luggage vans in its composition having stoppages at important stations between Visakhapatnam and Nanded.

TRAIN NO

FROM

TO

DAY

PERIOD

DEP. TIME
AT ORIGINATING STATIONS

ARR. TIME
AT DESTINATION STATIONS

08509

VISAKHAPATNAM

NANDED

TUE

09.07.13 to 30.07.13

1930HRS

1435 WED

08510

NANDED

VISAKHAPATNAM

WED

10.07.13 to 31.08.13

1615HRS

1015 THU

COMPOSITION

AC-2tier-1, AC-3 tier-1, Sleeper-10, General Second Class-5,  Guard cum Luggage Vans-2

STOPPAGES

VISAKHAPATNAM, RAJAHMUNDRY, TADEPALLIGUDAM, ELLURU, VIJAYAWADA, KAZIPET, SECUNDERABAD, KAMAREDDI, NIZAMABAD, MUDKHAD AND H.S.NANDED

VISAKHAPATNAM-SECUNDERABAD
07148/07147 Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam-Secunderabad weekly Express special train leaving Secunderabad at 2130hrs o­n every Friday between 5th July to 26th July 2013 and arriving at 1035hrs at Visakhapatnam o­n the following day. In the return direction, this train is leaving Visakhapatnam at 2000hrs o­n every Saturday between 6th July  to 27th July 2013 and arriving at Secunderabad at 0945hrs o­n next day.
This train will have Three AC-2 tiers, 10 AC-3 tiers, o­ne AC 1st Class and two Generator cum Guard vans in its composition having stoppages at important stations between Visakhapatnam and Secunderabad.

TRAIN NO

FROM

TO

DAY

PERIOD

DEP. TIME
AT ORIGINATING STATIONS

ARR. TIME
AT DESTINATION STATIONS

07148

SECUNDERABAD

VISAKHAPATNAM

FRI

05.07.13 TO 26.07.13

2130 HRS.

1035 HRS.

07147

VISAKHAPATNAM

SECUNDERABAD

SAT

06.07.13 TO 27.07.13

2000 HRS.

0945 HRS.

COMPOSITION

AC-2tier-1, AC-3 tier-1, Sleeper-10, General Second Class-5,  Guard cum Luggage Vans-2

STOPPAGES

VISAKHAPATNAM, RAJAHMUNDRY, TADEPALLIGUDAM, ELLURU, VIJAYAWADA, KAZIPET, SECUNDERABAD, KAMAREDDI, NIZAMABAD, MUDKHAD AND H.S.NANDED

Jaipur-Yashwantpur-Jaipur Garib Rath Special Train.