Output falls short, 57% breakdowns unreported: PAC report slams Rail unit

New Delhi: A Parliamentary panel, on Wednesday, raised gaps in planning, procurement, quality control and data management of the Mancheswar Carriage Repair Workshop under the East Coast Railway. Based on a CAG audit, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) raised serious concerns over the functioning.

The 40th report of PAC underlined that the workshop, having a monthly overhaul capacity of 150 coaches, consistently underperformed during a span of seven years of the current regime, 2016-23.

It only achieved an output of 86 to 113 coaches per month. The committee further noted that projections for Periodical Overhaul (POH) were revised downward and frequently overestimated. The PAC report calls it “weak planning” and “inefficient resource utilisation”. The report also mentioned that just 3,402 coaches got refurbished, short of the 3,796 aimed for. The panel also mentioned that the unrealistic projection also caused adverse effects on manpower planning, including spare parts orders being delayed and daily work being slowed down.

Moreover, following recent overhauls, 57 per cent of coach breakdowns went unreported. Fixes halt when depots fail to log these problems. In just three months, 131 instances were reported. Finding trends becomes speculative in the absence of complete records. When specifics go, problems recur.

Another major concern flagged by the parliamentary panel was the failure of coaches within 100 days of overhaul. Out of 131 such failures, a majority were not reported by depots, preventing proper analysis and corrective action.

The panel also highlighted instances where ‘must-change’ components were replaced with second-hand parts, compromising safety norms. Despite pointing to pandemic-related problems - like broken supply lines, missing workers, and limits on daily operations - the rail ministry faced pushback. Not enough, said PAC, to cover deep flaws in how safety checks and progress updates were handled.

The report also highlighted major problems in procurement. Almost 39 out of every 100 orders got scrapped, whereas many others stayed stuck past due dates. Delays in approvals and poor demand estimation were cited as key issues, sometimes leading to shortages of critical safety items.

In addition, the panel criticised the prolonged idling of high-value machinery, blamed on weak maintenance and ignoring safeguarding rules. Not fixing known issues - left gear broken, spotted. Raising concerns over financial prudence. Early warnings did little to stop the waste piling up over time.

Data inconsistencies further compounded operational challenges. Discrepancies between various digital systems and manual records led to inaccurate estimation of coach requirements. The committee further observed that the absence of a unified, real-time database undermines effective planning and monitoring.

The PAC pushed for big changes in how plans were made. It further underlined that quality checks needed more stringency. Procurement got a redesign, shifting away from old patterns.