Lok Sabha Question No. 3836 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-18
Subject: Mechanism to prevent Corruption in Railways
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Murari Lal Meena

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.  3836

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.12.2024

## MECHANISM TO PREVENT CORRUPTION IN RAILWAYS

## †3836. SHRI MURARI LAL MEENA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  more  than  10  thousand  complaints  of  corruption  were received against railway employees during the year 2023;
- (b) if so, the details of action taken by the Government for redressed of these complaints and for avoiding such complaints in future;
- (c) whether  any  new  scheme  or  technology  is  being  used  to  further strengthen the departmental vigilance mechanism to prevent corruption in the Railways;
- (d) if  so,  the  details  thereof  including  the  major  corrective  measures taken by the Railways to prevent corruption and increase transparency in the railways during the year 2024;
- (e) whether  vigilance  awareness  and  training  programmes  are  being organized by the Railways to reduce complaints of corruption in its various departments, if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) the  time  limit  set  by  the  Government  for  quick  investigation  and disposal of complaints in the Railways to prevent corruption?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (f): Receipt and disposal of complaints is a continuous process. Once the complaint is received, its genuineness verification is done and verified complaints are examined further for appropriate  administrative

action  or  detail  investigation.  Wherever  any  irregularity  is  detected against concerned railway personnel, as deemed fit, depending upon the gravity after investigation, suitable disciplinary action is taken of the charges.

As a result of investigation of complaints and regular preventive checks  conducted  by  Vigilance  Department,  corrective  measures  for system  improvements  and  for  increasing  transparency  are  taken. Detailed  study  of  cases  by  Vigilance  Department  results  in  system improvement and helps in fixing accountability and improving transparency.

Monitoring  of  complaints/checks  and  its  investigations  are  being done  through  IRVINS  (Indian  Railway  Vigilance  Information  System) software. The present software is being further upgraded to incorporate the latest technology to monitor, review and update latest position of the cases.

Various e-platform/portals like

- 
- GeM (Government e-Market);
-  IREPS (Indian Railways E-Procurement System);
-  IPAS (Integrated Payroll & Accounting System);
- 
- IRWCMS (Indian Railways Works Contracts Management System);
-  FOIS (Freight Operation Information System);
- 
- On line allotment of rakes;
-  HRMS (Human Resource Management system);
- 
- UDM (User Depot Module);
-  HMIS (Hospital Management Information System) etc.

have been introduced in Indian Railways to increase transparency and use of data for further improving the system. These systems help in fair and equal opportunity to various stackholders. Access to above online portals have been provided to officers at appropriate level to effectively monitor these portals as part of  preventive  vigilance  and  to  facilitate investigation of complaints.

Preventive  Vigilance  has  been  made  an  integral  part  of  Training Curriculum  in  Indian  Railways  Training  Centres.  In  addition,  Vigilance officials  are  given  training  at  ZRTI  (Zonal  Railway  Training  Institute), Udaipur  regularly.  A  training  module  for  newly  inducted  Vigilance Officers has been started at IRITM (Indian Railway Institute of Traffic Management), Lucknow.

Vigilance awareness  seminars  are  organized by each  Zonal Railway and Production Unit as part of 3 months campaign every year and  on  the  occasion  of  Vigilance  Awareness  Week  (VAW)  program  to promote integrity and ethics in public life, generate public awareness and publicize the adverse impact of corruption.

Complaints are investigated and disposed off mostly as per timelines set by Central Vigilance Commission (CVC).

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