RailEnquiry

NAGPUR: It's a classic case of how the tainted employees are shielded by the administration in the Nagpur division of Central Railway! Instead of taking action against them for involvement in Travel Ventures International (TVI) network marketing scam, stationmasters with the operating department got out-of-turn transfers, ignoring registration of other employees.After TOI reported the scam on October 27 last, two movement inspectors (MIs) Komal Gajbhiye and P D Raut were shifted to Hinganghat and Chichonda respectively on November 2. Four others - D K Soni, S K Jaiswal, S S Karnale and C P Varshaney - were transferred on December 27 and retained in Nagpur only.The transfers had the approval of competent authority.Barring Varshaney, all others are reportedly involved in the TVI scam which involved influencing official positions to make railway employees and outsiders members by collecting Rs15,500 and offering four day and three nights' stay in five-star hotels.

Central Railway PRO P D Patil had earlier said these transfers were routine. However, to cross-check, TOI sought to know under the RTI Act list of employees posted elsewhere in the division and who had registered their names for transfer at Nagpur.

Information reveals that except Raut, who was shifted to Chichonda, all the transfers of MIs are out-of-turn at Nagpur. In the grade pay of Rs4,600, at least 11 stationmasters who had registered for posting at Nagpur two years ago, were deprived to favour the tainted ones.

Both, stationmaster C P Varshaney, working in guards and loco pilots lobby at the station, and traffic inspector D K Soni, who made a large number of members in TVI Ponzi scheme, were shifted as deputy station superintendents (DySS) at Nagpur.

Similarly, injustice was done to 48 assistant stationmasters (ASMs) who had registered for posting at Nagpur and were waiting for two years. Depriving the 48 ASMs, S S Karnale and S K Jaiswal, both MIs involved in TVI scam were shifted to Ajni from DRM office.

Shockingly, the railways gave misleading information, stating that only transfer of Varshaney was done out-of-turn, that too in the interest of administration.

"Why a large number of employees with genuine claims were deprived? The out-of-turn transfers were being done allegedly to bring the tainted ones back at DRM office where they were posted earlier," fear railways officials.

Tainted Komal Gajbhiye and P D Raut have already registered themselves for posting at Nagpur immediately after they were shifted in November, indicating they do not want to leave the city.