Railway officials are called ‘Theetam Thinnikal’ (shit eaters)!

CMS/TVC is a useless officer without any courage or spine

CHI is from Chennai to avert transfer, SRMU is helping him as usual

Honey & Money, a new corruption saga from Trivandrum Division

Human rights commission asked DRM/CMS to submit inquiry reports on cleaning contract employees

Trivandrum: The ongoing strike by cleaning staff for their daily wages have opened up a can of corruption worms in railway stations in Kerala which is thriving for past so many years under the ages of the medical department of Southern Railway. The cleanliness staff engaged by the private contractors in stations and coaching yards are deprived of their salaries for so many months. And they are on strike for past so many days. ‘Rail Samachar’ have talked to these people and feels that CBI probe is very much needed to unearth this corruption gang.

If someone demands salary they are thrown out of the job by the contractor and Health department staff. More or less all local cleaning contracts have been awarded to a Kolkata based firm without assessing the track record of the agency. As per reliable sources, the agency doesn’t have any supervisors at the ground level and it is alleged that in Ernakulam Jn station chief health inspector (CHI) and his close aide one lady is taking care of all the activities on behalf of the contractor, which is a clear violation of the contract agreement.

Workers like Radha (name changed) says, “we are working here for past so many years, in the last 15 months only we have this issue of non-payment of our salaries. The money received in benamy accounts is later transferred to our accounts based on their interest. We are yet to get the last 4 months salary and 9 months ESI and PF contribution from the contractor. When we complain they give us only half of the one month salary. We have no other go as we are coming from very poor families. Some times they credit money twice into our accounts and asks us to return the same. We don’t know how much is our original salary. We don’t have any salary slips.”

“In contract agreement also they never mention about our salaries, because we are contract staff railway unions are not helping us. with daily expenses like bus fare, lunch and medicines working without salary are a nightmare for us. Most of us are from very poor backgrounds having bedridden parents at home. We are cleaning these tracks filled with human waste. And whatever they ask us to do time and again. But officers are eating our hard earned money due to their nexus with the contractor. We came to know that our PF and ESI money is not deposited for the past 9 months. When we contacted the health officer, he is not giving a proper answer. Unless our salary balance and PF, ESI amounts are not paid we won’t get back to the work. This year we didn’t get any bonus too. How did these health officials have passed contractor bills when they have not paid our ESI and PF contributions? Because we are not well educated they are treating us as slaves and fooling us again and again.”

Another employee says, “there are two registers at the CHI office. They manipulate the register by giving attendance to the absentees and safeguard the interest of the contractor. If a number of employees are below the limit contractor can be fined by the railways. But they will never do that and an amount is given to CHI and team for creating bogus attendance.”

As per information, there are 9 Health Inspectors (HIs) including part-timers in Ernakulam Jn and 50 staff on a roll. Some of the employees left the job after they didn’t get the payment on time. In the second register, they are still employees here whos salaries and perks are flowing into the pockets of officers there. Once they deposit money the lady supervisor will come and ask everyone to return the excess amount.

You may wonder why there are 9 supervisors for one railway station. Some of them come from other stations as work arrangement and all want to work at Ernakulam Jn only. As per reliable sources, the food safety officer has benamy investment in Multifunctional Complex in Alappuzha railway station. He collects bribes by threatening food sample examination in all stalls across Trivandrum division and takes money.

It is a well-known fact that the health unit at Ernakulam is the most corrupt unit in the Southern Railway. Chief health inspector has not gone on transfer for the past 17 years and surrendered his promotion to continue in his lucrative bribing post. People say he is the kingpin of all the deals. Reliable sources say the wealth he has amassed during these years is unparalleled. Monthly hafta comes to a whopping 2.5 lakhs alone? It is alleged that he has two houseboats and one local bus in his home town in benamy ownership? The lady superstar who was a contract sweeper in her early days has the full control of this health office at Ernakulam Jn.

The Rate card of CHI office/Ernakulam

1. Static stalls at the Station: Rs.1000 per month

2. NVR, VRR, Food courts: Rs. 5000 per month

3. Medical Fitness certificate for Pantry Staff and vendors: Rs. 500 per person

In every division, medical fitness certificate is issued by the doctors. But in Ernakulam even the certificate is signed by the doctor, the certificate will come to you only through the hands of Health Inspectors. Due to alleged corruption recently this was diverted through station masters in Trivandrum division. But the crooks like CHI/ERS have found out a new way. He has taken the health department round seal to his table and still collecting 500 Rupees and issues the certificates told some of the employees at the station.

The pantry staff of trains originating from Trivandrum, Ernakulam all comes for this certificate at Ernakulam. Also the vendors at static and non-static stalls. And Health Inspector collects this money through an agent, called a migrant laborer or a ‘Faltoo’ earlier at the station who is always available in platform no. 1 of Ernakulam Jn. He acts as the agent of CHI and does all the financial transactions on behalf of him. He hands over the amount collected by another contract employee every morning. Even plenty of complaints have gone against this CHI but till date, no action is taken by CMS of Trivandrum Division. CMS is such a useless officer without any courage or spine, said so many employees.

It is learned that CHI owns two houseboats in Kochi and all the guest from Chennai and New Delhi Health department is treated with whatever they wish inside a local island in Poothotta, which is 22 Km away from Kochi city. Sources say that the alleged favors taken from CHI are compelling higher up like CMS and PCMD to safeguard CHI at any cost. Even DRM/TVC is aware of these things couldn’t initiate any action so far because of the hold CHI and CMS enjoy in Southern Railway Headquarters in Chennai and at Railway Board level.

Health officers may choose day time robbery rather than work in Railways.

Even the vigilance cases were erased with their influence as vigilance is only interested in free lunches. The division has communicated to HQ to transfer the alleged CHI from Ernakulam but with help of higher-ups in HQ, Chennai, he is blocking any move to transfer him. SRMU is also backing the corrupt officers in Southern Railway as usual, sources said.

Reliable sources say that the cash flow from Kolkatta account is to 4 benamy bank accounts in Kochi. The ongoing strike by casual labors also opens up the truth that all the health inspectors are eating the illegal money and they are a big nexus.

Every month some of the HIs are taken for Dinner at five-star hotels in Kochi city by the lady supervisor. The PF, ESI money that is not been paid is being used for these kinds of enjoyments. Unless any straight forward officers come as CMS at Trivandrum these people will continue to loot poor laborers money which they earn by cleaning human waste on tracks.

In Malayalam, these officials are called ‘Theetam Thinnikal’ (shit eaters) by casual laborers. They feel that these health department officers may choose day time robbery rather than work in Indian Railway.