Over-inspection causing delay in implementation of projects: Rly Board

"Over-inspections" by officials is taking a toll on the implementation of projects and increasing the working hours of employees, the Railway Board has said in a letter to all the zonal railways, asking them to refrain from stretching the inspection schedules.

The letter comes on the heels of a study by the Railways' Transformation Cell, which found that the projects were being affected due to the railway zones prescribing prolonged inspection schedules.

In the letter, written to the general managers last month, the board has said they should ensure that such over-inspections are avoided.

"Instances of prescribing over-inspection on a prolonged basis have come to the notice of the board. Such over-inspections on a prolonged basis are bound to result in lack of attention in other crucial areas related to implementation and monitoring.

"Moreover, in a recent study undertaken by the Transformation Cell, it was revealed that the officials required excessive duty hours per month to undertake the laid down codal inspections, which is quite an onerous task to be performed alongside other functions," the letter said.

It added that while quality inspections were a significant part of the railways' working, it was also necessary to perform them in an "effective and efficient manner" and "at a frequency laid down in the codes manuals/instructions".

"Along with the inspections, quality follow-up, implementation with due resource allocations to ensure compliance on a sustained basis is equally important. Therefore a reasonable balance of time between inspections, consultations, planning, designing, tendering and monitoring is essential, it said.

The board also said the zonal railways should ensure that the "inspection schedules already codified or as conveyed through manuals/special instructions are not increased on a regular basis".