Following reports about misappropriation of money collected at the CPRS counters opened at MSRTC complex, Imphal and Churachandpur, the State Vigilance Commission registered a case and investigated the matter.
In the course of the investigation, it was learnt that a huge amount collected for booking railway tickets was swindled by some high ranking officials of Transport Department in cahoot with employees manning the CPRS counters.
The two CPRS counters were opened in the State after the State Government and the Ministry of Railways signed a memorandum of understanding.
As per the MoU, money collected for booking railway tickets should be deposited in bank on daily basis.
The Vigilance Commission investigated the number of tickets booked and money thus collected between 2009 and 2012 .
The investigation revealed that Rs 49,72,622 collected at Imphal CPRS counter and another Rs 20,10,202 collected at Churachandpur CPRS counter were not deposited in bank.
Money paid for booking railway tickets at Imphal was collected by a ticketing staff and the manager.
One CPRS manager submitted a report to high ranking officers of the Transport Department claiming that Rs 7,32,998 has been spent as office expenditure.
At Churachandpur CPRS counter, two ticketing staff and two supervisors collected Rs 20,10,202 between 2011 and 2012.There is also a report which claimed that Rs 81,000 has been spent on office expenditure.
One individual worked as a ticketing staff at both the CPRS counters of Imphal and Churachandpur during different periods of time.
It has also been established that the ticketing staff were not regular employees of the State Government.
They were assigned the task of railway ticketing under a Deputy Director of the Transport Department.
The Deputy Director is at fault for official lapses and negligence, remarked the Vigilance Commission.
It also recommended that appropriate punitive actions may be initiated against the Deputy Director after an enquiry by the high power committee headed by the Chief Secretary as Chairman, and the amount swindled should be recuperated from the Deputy Director.
Source: The Sangai Express
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