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The Public Accounts Committee has decided to examine the Operating Ratio of Indian Railways. The study will be based on a recent CAG report on Railway finances that flagged the inability of the Railways to meet the targeted operating ratio.
The CAG report had said that the operating ratio of 98.36 per cent shown by the Railways does not reflect its true financial performance. “The operating ratio deteriorated from 97.29 per cent in 2018-19 to 98.36 per cent in 2019-20. Further, the operating ratio of the Railways would have been 114.35 per cent instead of 98.36 per cent, if the actual expenditure on pension payments was taken into account,” the report tabled in Parliament during the last winter session said.
Sources in the panel indicated that the PAC will have meetings with the Railway Board members and other senior officers on this issue. Payment of salaries and pensions and the issue of pending vacancies may also be taken by the panel during the discussion. The panel will also look into an audit paragraph on the “Loss due to indecision of Railway Administration in the matter of land acquisition” of the East Central Railway.
Audit reports inspection
On audit reports of Departments of Telecommunications, Posts, Electronics and Information Technology, the PAC will take up reports on the “Implementation of USOF project (phase – I) to provide mobile services in areas affected by Left Wing Extremism, Irregular hiring of Casual Labourers without Contract/ Agreement, Loss of ₹ 12.22 crore and liability of ₹ 15.33 crore due to non-execution of MoU and Unfruitful expenditure on project for providing broadband connectivity in North East Region and other Inaccessible Regions”.
The audit on “Avoidable expenditure due to delays in contracting process” in the Defence Ministry will also be examined by the PAC, headed by veteran Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. Issues relating to accounting of Cess/Levies under various Ministries will also be studied by the panel.
The report on Ground Water Management and Regulation, Performance Audit on Construction and Estate Management in DRDO, Assistance to Training Institutions Scheme for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Administration of Nazul Lands by Land and Development Office and a Performance Audit of Setting up of new Indian Institutes of Technology will also be taken up by the panel in this year.
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