CVC favours penalty against NFR GM for alleged irregularities

The Central Vigilance Commission has recommended minor penalty against General Manager of North East Frontier Railway Ranjit Singh Virdi for alleged role in a three-year-old case related to irregularities in procurement of perfume dispensers for air conditioned coaches.
The Commission has favoured imposition of minor penalty, which may include censure, withholding of increment of pay and promotion, recovery from pay of the whole or part of any pecuniary loss caused to government, against Virdi, official sources said.
The Vigilance Directorate under the Ministry of Railways had initiated an inquiry into the alleged irregularities in purchase of perfume dispensers on the basis of a media report in 2010, the sources said.

After completion of inquiry, the report was sent to the CVC recommending minor penalty against Virdi for his alleged involvement in the case.
Acting on the Railways Ministry's vigilance department report, the CVC issued the charge sheet against the official and sought his response as to why minor penalty should not be imposed against him, they said.
Virdi has, however, denied his involvement in the case.

"So I have also heard (about imposition of penalty). I was not involved in the case," Virdi told PTI.
He also called as "incorrect" the advice by Railways Vigilance department of imposing minor penalty against him, which was later confirmed by the CVC.

"It is an incorrect advice," said Virdi, a 1972 batch officer of Indian Railways Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME).
Virdi was appointed General Manager of NFR, one of the 16 zonal railways whose headquarters is in Guwahati, in June last year.