Earnings - Comptroller and Auditor General of India

Report No.6 of 2006 (Railways)2.2.8 Western Railway: Loss due to incorrect computation ofchargeable weightFailure of Railway Administration to stencil the correct carrying capacity onthe wagons during periodical overhauling, in terms of Railway Board’s order,resulted in incorrect computation of chargeable weight leading to loss ofrevenue of Rs.1.56 croreThe Railway Board in January 1983 noted that while the normal maximumcarrying capacity (CC) of a four wheeler LPG tank wagon, as per design, was15.4 tonnes, some of the tank wagons had a CC of less than 15.4 tonnesmarked on them due to higher tare weight. The Board, therefore, ordered thatthe four wheeler LPG tank wagons should be loaded to their designed CCsubject to their axle load not exceeding 17 tonnes. In May 1999, the RailwayBoard decided to reconfirm whether it was possible to load the wagons up to15.4 tonnes without involving any safety hazards. In response to this WesternRailway confirmed (August 1999) that CC of most of the four wheeler LPGtank wagons was 15.4 tonnes and tare weight was 18.6 tonnes. Subsequently,Railway Board superseded their orders of January 1983 and decided (March2001) that CC for LPG tank wagons will be the marked/ stenciled CC, notexceeding 15.4 tonnes. However, the Board also decided that in respect of allLPG tank wagons, the CC should be determined afresh during periodicaloverhauling (POH) on priority to ensure that the axle load does not exceed 17tonnes and the revised CC should be fixed at 34 tonnes minus the actual tareweight.Audit noticed that in 485 wagons, the tare weight of these wagons wasmarked/ stenciled at 18.6 tonnes while the CC was marked/ stenciled as 14tonnes which adds up to 32.6 tonnes only, leaving a margin of 1.4 tonnes. Itwas seen in audit that though these wagons were given POH in Kota workshopduring April 2001 to December 2004, the marked tare weight and CCremained unchanged. The freight is, therefore, being charged on marked CC of14 tonnes even though Western Railway had found the CC of most LPG tankwagons to be 15.4 tonnes.Audit is of the view that non-observance of Railway Board instructions ofmarking the CC afresh after ascertaining the actual tare weight has resulted infreight being wrongly charged on marked CC of 14 tonnes and consequentshort realisation of freight to the tune of Rs.1.56 crore in respect of 9,607wagons loaded from Oil and Natural Gas Commission siding Kawas duringApril 2002 to March 2005.When the matter was taken up (May 2005) with Railway Administration, theyagreed (September 2005) that CC could have been computed by deducting tareweight from the axle load in respect of wagons where tare weight was alsostenciled on the wagons. They further added that directions have been given tostencil the revised CC in terms of Railway Board’s instructions.Though the Railway Administration have accepted short realisation of freightin respect of wagons whose tare weight and CC were marked/ stenciled, theyhave failed, even now, to issue clear instructions to the concerned staff toarrive at the CC by deducting tare weight from axle load in respect of such46