The progressive Nagpur Division of Central Railway is going off the track by keeping in operation an outdated official vehicle

The progressive Nagpur Division of Central Railway is going off the track by keeping in operation an outdated official vehicle of senior divisional personnel officer (SrDPO) and spending thousands of rupees on it.

Information sought under the RTI Act reveals that Mahindra make jeep model of 1988 (MZV 9455) is still in use by the Central Railway. Officially, the jeep should have been condemned after 15 years i.e. in 2006. However, even after 23 years, the vehicle is being 'misused'.

Sr DPO and PIO B M Shikare for whom the vehicle is meant is shy of giving correct information under RTI. No answers were given to three vital queries like date of condemnation of vehicle, average monthly consumption and expenditure on fuel and repair cost. The SrDPO did not furnish information saying it was not available on record.

"If the vehicle is still in use, the railway must be keeping an account of money spent on fuel and repairs but why is it hiding this information? The Central Railway is making mockery of RTI Act," alleged RTI activist, who did not want to be quoted.

He was told to deposit Rs 1,152 to get copy of the log book containing 576 pages for a period between January and December 2010. The activist deposited the requisite amount but did not get the information in the stipulated time of 30 days.

Surprisingly, the copies of logbook supplied are neither attested nor certified and even the information was not covered under any official letter. Shocking, the covering letter was sent the next day.

Shikare was requested to send the information by post but even after depositing Rs 1,152 the applicant had to collect it in person from Sr DPO's office. Provisions under the RTI Act state that if the information is not sent with the stipulated time period, it should be provided free.

Scrutiny of the logbook has reveals that the outdated vehicle is badly being 'misused' by the personnel department officials. Information in the logbook for one year period (January-December 2010) shows that SrDPO used the vehicle on 33 occasions; divisional personnel officer (DPO) N D Gangurde on 681 occasions; office superintendent on 11 occasions; other staffers on 72 occasions while on 59 occasions the logbook is unsigned.


The logbook reveals misuse of vehicle badly. Unsigned logbook may mean family members of the personnel department must have used the SrDPO's vehicle. The vehicle is mostly being used by the DPO. "If so many lapses have been found in one-year record, you can imagine the situation for past so many years," asked the activist.

A three-member committee had also recommended condemnation of the jeep in 2006, but the vehicle is still on the road.

Sources said handsome amount is spent on diesel and repairs ignoring the recommendation of the condemnation committee. When contacted, K Jaishankar, divisional commercial manager (DCM), says the jeep should be replaced but there is no way until an alternative is provided. The vehicle must have been used by others for official purpose only, he added.

The activist has decided to knock the doors of chief information commissioner (CIC), Delhi, if correct information is not furnished. He has appealed before the additional divisional railway manager (ADRM) Uday Borwankar against the PIO.