(a) whether alleged irregularity in the accounts and finances of Railways has been reported recently and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether the Government has any proposal to conduct inquiry in this regard and if so, the details thereof ; and
(c) the time by which the inquiry is likely to be completed?
MINISTER OF RAILWAYS(SHRI SURESH PRABHAKAR PRABHU)
(a) to (c) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) OF STARRED QUESTION NO. 274 BY SHRIMATI P.K. SREEMATHI TEACHER TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 16.03.2015 REGARDING ACCOUNTS AND FINANCES OF RAILWAYS
(a) : No, Madam. No irregularity in the accounts and finance of Railways has been reported. However, Comptroller & Auditor General (C&AG) vide Report No. 19 of 2014 (Railway Finances) has pointed out certain procedural deficiencies in record keeping in some of the zonal railways with regard to various areas of project management on Indian Railways.
(b) & (c) : The said report of C&AG refers to cases of deficiencies in compliance of Railway codal provisions by some of the units of zonal Railways in certain areas of record keeping and not cases of financial irregularity/ loss per se, warranting any inquiry in the matter.
Audit scrutiny of Indian Railway’s accounts, its reporting and action thereon by Railways is a continuous process. The deficiencies pointed out in C&AG’s Reports are examined in consultation with zonal railways concerned for taking corrective action as due besides remedial measures, wherever necessary, to preclude recurrence of such deficiencies. The Action Taken Notes on audit paras, duly vetted by audit, are submitted to Ministry of Finance for kind appraisal of Public Accounts Committee (PAC). Further action is also taken on recommendations/observations of the PAC on audit paras selected by them for detailed examination and Action Taken Reports thereon are apprised to the Committee.