Procurement in Railways - Inputs on Solutions
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Procurement in Railways - Root Causes for Issues
1. Lack of professionalism in the working of the Railway
2. There is a nexus between contractors, railway staff & politicians
3. Procurement systems are not computerised yet
4. The officials collude with vendors to their own financial benefits
5. Tenders are opened privately to give the known vendors advantage
6. Bogus companies are created to rake in big money
7. Lack of proper inspection while purchasing
8. Officials raise the purchase rate and the excess amount is dispersed as commission and bribes
9. In many cases contractors who come through political/senior bureaucrat contacts drive things such that junior officers are compelled to accept bribes
10. Most of the payments are still cleared manually through cheques
11. Suppliers provide low or very bad quality goods because they know there is nobody to care for it
12. Lack of set protocols for procurement in Railways
13. Lack of an online tender application system
14. Contractors/suppliers/vendors with political influence get the major contracts
15. Higher level officers manipulate the process, to further their OWN ends and NOT Railways
16. The employee is loyal to his appointing authority and NOT to Indian Railways.
Procurement in Railways - Key Issues
1. The tenders are manipulated
2. Tenders are not opened publicly
3. There is a high level of corruption in procurement
4. Payments are not released without getting a cut
5. There are cartels for some types of work, especially those related to earth work, track laying etc.
6. Orders are given to bogus contractors
7. Sometimes goods are purchased for more than twice-thrice the time of its original value
8. Goods of inferior quality are supplied compared to what is mentioned in the purchase order
9. People operating the purchase department do not have in-depth knowledge of procurement
10. In centralized procurement, the purchasing power is left in the hands of a few individuals
11. In de-centralized procurement, the cost of the purchases becomes high
12. Often, more than required quantity of goods are purchased. more