Delhi: With the aim of promoting a corruption-free and transparent railway system and strengthening efforts to address passenger issues, teams of Railway Vigilance Officers conducted surveys at major stations.
The purpose of this survey was to obtain feedback from passengers regarding their problems and complaints, especially incidents of irregularities in the railways. These feedback will be reviewed to improve procedures and policies for the benefit of passengers.
A senior official stated that teams of Vigilance Officers and Inspectors conducted surveys at major stations, including New Delhi Station, Delhi Station, and Hazrat Nizamuddin Station, to understand passengers’ concerns and experiences and to gather feedback from them regarding their complaints. This will help the Railway Vigilance Department identify problem areas to improve procedures and policies.
Speaking about vigilance complaints, Ajay Kumar Sharma, Joint Director, Vigilance Department, Railway Board, told ETV Bharat, “The Vigilance Department frequently receives complaints about various issues, including passenger complaints, through various platforms and sources at the zonal level, which are forwarded to the Railway Board and then to the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC).”
He added, “It is very difficult to provide specific complaint data regarding passenger complaints, as they range across a variety of issues, including those related to passenger food, services, railway recruitment, transfers, postings, procurement, and contractors. The zones receive passenger complaints through various platforms and sources, which they attempt to resolve.”
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, Chief Public Relations Officer, Northern Railway, said, “The Railways receives all types of complaints, including those related to catering, cleanliness, and portering. These complaints are investigated by competent authorities, and corrective measures are taken. The Railways does not specifically maintain such passenger data.”
General Manager of North Central Railway, Naresh Pal Singh, emphasized that curbing corruption and bringing transparency to the system is not just the responsibility of the Vigilance Department, but requires everyone to work together. Everyone must contribute in their own way to fulfill this shared responsibility.
Principal Chief Operating Manager, Sharat Sudhakar Chandrayan, stated that shared responsibility must begin with individual action and is a lifelong journey, and that it must begin quickly to achieve transformative change.
As directed by the Central Vigilance Commissioner, outreach initiatives were conducted, in which all stakeholders, including vendors, outsourced employees, and contractors, were encouraged to cooperate in curbing corruption by visiting village councils and other locations.
Expressing similar views, General Manager of East Coast Railway, Parmeshwar Phunkwal, said, “Integrity is not just a policy, but a culture that we all must adopt. By instilling these values in our workforce and community, we contribute to a prosperous nation.”
The Railways recently discussed the importance of ethical conduct and vigilance in governance with employees and the public to promote the integrity and accountability essential for effective public service.
Vigilance teams from the East Coast Railway presented presentations on the grievance redressal system and the provisions of the Public Interest Disclosure and Protection of Whistleblowers (PIDPI) resolution. It was emphasized that the identity of the complainants should be completely protected so that people can report irregularities without fear.
The Railways received questions and suggestions from stakeholders, which were discussed and valuable feedback was recorded for necessary action to improve efficiency and transparency in railway operations.
Grievance Redressal: Employees’ grievances and complaints should be effectively resolved through a permanent system.
D&AR Case Disposal: There is a need to be vigilant regarding D&AR cases. Deliberate delays provide a “free pass” and encourage wrongdoers.
Awareness and Training: To prevent unintentional mistakes due to lack of knowledge of rules and regulations, it is essential to educate employees and provide them with information about the rules.
Digital Initiatives: To increase transparency in the system, information technology tools, digital initiatives, and web portals should be used as much as possible.
