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New toilets in trains no better than septic tanks: IIT-M study

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Srinand Jha, November 23, 2017 IndiaSpend

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A new kind of toilet using bacteria to break down human excreta has been deployed in Indian trains over four years to 2017, at a cost of Rs 1,305 crore, but this toilet is no better than a septic tank, the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, has concluded after a two-year long study.

As many as 93,537 “bio-digesters”–as the toilets are called–have been installed in mainline express and mail trains by the Indian Railways. These are small-scale sewage-treatment systems beneath the toilet seat: Bacteria in a compost chamber digest human excreta, leaving behind water and methane. Only the water, disinfected later, is let out on the tracks.

That is how it is supposed to work.

However, sanitation experts and various studies–including commissioned by the railways–have pointed out that most of the new “bio-toilets” on Indian trains are ineffective or ill maintained and the water discharged no better than raw sewage.

“Our tests have found that the organic matter (human waste) collecting in the bio-digesters do not undergo any kind of treatment,” IIT professor Ligy Philip, who headed the latest study, told IndiaSpend. “Like in the septic tanks, these bio-digesters accumulate slush (human excreta mixed with water).”

The IIT study on bio-toilets, shared exclusively with IndiaSpend, was sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and submitted last week to the union ministry of urban affairs.

Despite the criticism, an additional 120,000 coaches are to be fitted with these bio-toilets, jointly developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Railways, by December 2018. This is likely to cost Rs 1,200 crore, the railways revealed on November 2, 2017, in response to a Right to Information (RTI) request.

The bio-digester project in the Indian Railways began during the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime. But the project has been speeded up under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat (Clean India) campaign. The idea is to meet this target in time for the celebration of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary in 2019, said railway ministry spokesperson Anil Kumar Saxena. The Swachh Bharat campaign has been dedicated by PM Modi to Gandhi.

Indian Railways are often described as the world’s biggest toilet: It ejects around 3,980 tonnes of faecal matter–the equivalent of 497 truck-loads (at 8 tonnes per truck)–onto rail tracks every day, according to a report released by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in 2013.

The network has 9,000 passenger trains with 52,000 coaches with toilets that discharge human waste on to rail tracks. Covering 65,500 km across the country, these trains transport 24 million passengers every day, the equivalent of the population of Australia.

Since 1993, the Indian Railways have been experimenting with a host of technologies used worldwide to replace the open discharge system. This included vacuum toilets based on suction, commonly seen in aircraft; “controlled-discharge” toilet systems (CDTS) which allow waste to be dropped only after a train acquires a speed of 30 kmph, thus keeping stations clean; and “zero-discharge” toilets, in which solid waste is stored, evacuated and then dumped in pits for composting and the liquid filtered for recycling.

In 2008, the railways decided to install the bio-digester model developed by the Gwalior-based Defence Research and Development Establishment (DRDE).

Responding to the criticism of the bio-toilet, government officials said that the flaws are being fixed. “The issues regarding the bio-digesters are of a minor nature and are being effectively addressed. Some changes (in design or execution strategies) are inevitable, as this is a continuous process,” said Saxena, the railway ministry spokesman.

Currently, there are nine units manufacturing these bio-toilets.

Questions raised about bacteria used in green toilets

Lokendra Singh, former director of the DRDE, had, after an expedition to Antarctica, brought home psychrophilic bacteria that can survive in extremely low temperatures. The bacteria were mixed with cow dung and normal soil, which have methogens (microorganisms that produce methane) capable of breaking down human excreta. This was then supplied to the manufacturers of rail bio-digesters.

“Because of the presence of a compound of bacteria, the bio-degradation process is set off in the toilet chambers–the bacteria eat up the organic matter (human excreta) and produce methane gas and water as byproducts,” Singh said.

The Indian Railways have also been toying with the idea of setting up two factories to mass produce this bacterium.

But Singh’s claims of a scientific breakthrough using the bacteria from Antarctica have been questioned on the following grounds:

The bacterium, Singh admitted, has not obtained an independent or a third-party certification from an organisation such as the UIC (Federation of European Railways);
The DRDO does not have a patent for the design or manufacture of these bio-toilets. A patent is necessary to market a commercial product. DRDO only has a patent for the design of “railway toilet tank”, as the organisation’s website reveals;
The railways do not maintain centralised data on the functioning of bio-digesters on parameters of effluent analysis, their charging or emptying locations;
These bio-toilets do not eliminate the problem entirely: Once the tank is filled, human excreta is allowed to drop down onto the tracks.
Three experts had flagged problems with bio-toilets

This is not the first time the railways’ bio toilet project has been criticised. A 2009 study jointly conducted by the Lucknow-based Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) and IIT Kanpur concluded that no treatment of human excreta was happening in the bio-digesters installed in railway toilets.

“We had found the discharge from these toilets as being no different from raw sewage,” said IIT professor Vinod Tare, who had headed the study, which the railway ministry has not made public.

On September 14, 2004, DRDO scientist Y Ashok Babu sent a letter to the then chief vigilance commissioner Pradeep Kumar, terming the bio toilets “farce (sic) technology”.

Sulabh International founder Bindeshwar Pathak–who had earlier been named the brand ambassador of the railways’ cleanliness mission–has also expressed serious reservations about the effectiveness of the “Antarctica bacteria” at a meeting with railway board officials in January 2016.

“I had recommended the use of removable steel tanks in train toilets and the installation of biogas digesters at the junctions,” Pathak said.

The bio-toilets had “more than 100% chance of getting choked”, said M Raghaviah, general secretary of the National Federation of Indian Railways, in an August 2015 letter sent to the Railway Board. “The carriage and wagons staff is routinely facing the inconvenience of cleaning up the choked tanks,” he said.

The DRDO bio-digesters were first installed at Siachen glacier in 2000 and subsequently at the 2013 Kumbh Mela, the massive Hindu festival that marks a solar eclipse, in Allahabad. Recent news reports (such as this report in the New Indian Express) have pointed out that bio-toilets are malfunctioning in trains.

Singh rejected these allegations. “Frustrated scientists who have never worked on the project are raising such issues,” he said. “Of course, there are some problems but these are being addressed by the railways. Bio-digester manufacturers do not have previous experience. So, some problems are emerging but issues will shortly get sorted out.”

Singh, who has assumed charge as the chairman of the Digesters and Bio-Toilet Manufacturers Association (DBMA) after his retirement from DRDE this year, said questions of “conflict of interest” did not apply in his case, as he held only an “honorary position with the DBMA”.

Incumbent DRDE director DK Dubey refused to comment in the matter and a questionnaire emailed to him remained unanswered until the time of writing. DV Kamboj, project in-charge at DRDE, said he was not authorised to speak to the media.

Bio-toilets are often choked, broken or malfunctioning

Documents available with IndiaSpend suggest that there are serious issues with the bio-toilet venture. At a high-level meeting convened by the railway board on October 26, 2017, with functionaries from 17 zones, the following concerns were emphasised:

Bio-digester toilets were giving off an overpowering stench on account of the improper functioning of mechanical peripherals fitted in them;
Toilets were getting jammed often, not only because passengers were tossing bottles, cigarette butts, gutka (chewable tobacco mix) packets and soiled sanitary napkins into them but also because mechanical fixtures such as valves were non-functional;
Water pressure available for flushing in these toilets was inadequate (bio-digesters need 5 litres of water per flush);
Mounting and securing apparatus of the toilet tanks were faulty, leading to regular breakage of rubber connector and safety wires.
An internal review of bio digesters conducted for September 2017 on five divisions of the Northern Railway Zone indicated 10% failures on account of internal choking in the Delhi division of Northern Railways; 15.7% cases of clutch wire failures and 19.4% failures of lab samples testing.

Cost of manufacture, fitment has climbed from Rs 52,000 to over Rs 75,000

During the last three years of the second UPA government (2011-14), 9,350 bio-toilets were fitted in trains but the figure rose by 539%, to 59,735, in the first three years of the NDA government (2014-17).

In the current financial year (2017-18), 24,215 bio-toilets had been fitted until August 30, bringing the cumulative figure to 93,537, the railways said in the RTI reply of November 2, 2017.

In this period, the cost of manufacture and fitment of bio-toilets climbed from an average of Rs 52,000 per unit to over Rs 75,000 per unit. After the imposition of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), this cost burden has spiked further, with the railways having to absorb the 18% levy.

“Cost escalation is inevitable, as manufacturing costs have been rising,” said Manoj Jha of Faridabad-based Arkin Technologies that manufactures and supplies bio-digesters to the railways.

In response to an RTI appeal from Dehradun-based activist Prabhu Dandriyal, the railways stated that the Hubli workshop of South Western Railways had been supplied 2,152 toilets at a cost of over Rs 22 crore during the financial year 2016-17. Based on this calculation, the current cost being borne by the railways works out to more than Rs 100,000 per unit.

By the time the task is completed, the railways are likely to exceed their budget of Rs 1,200 crore for additional bio-toilets. Arvind Dethe, a bio-toilet manufacturer based in Akola in Maharashtra, has been selling a similar toilet at Rs 6,000.

“Everybody engaged with the plan is aware that the current bio-digester plan is unlikely to achieve the goal of providing an environment-friendly and sustainable solution,” a railway official said, requesting anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media. “But officials are keeping quiet on account of pressure from the political leadership to fulfill the targets.”

As many as 95% of the bio-toilets fitted so far were faulty, claimed another official posted in the carriage and wagon department who did not wish to be named. His department is responsible for the maintenance of toilets.

DRDO scientist Ashok Babu, in his email of May 21, 2016, to then defence minister Manohar Parrikar, rubbished official claims about the bio-toilets, alleging that these were nothing but “gobar gas plants”.

“With basic training, a village mason can build such toilets,” he alleged. “The plan is being pushed by a nexus of officials and vendors.”

The railways have spent Rs 22 lakh on the repair of “faulty” bio-toilets in the Southern Railway zone alone, according to an October 10, 2017, RTI reply to Dandriyal, the Dehradun-based activist.

“Funds are not so much a constraint; but a bigger problem is that–on account of the business interests of the railways to run more and more trains–it becomes difficult to spare coaches for repair work,” said a railway ministry official who did not wish to be named. “Coaches with faulty toilets need to be marked ‘sick’ and moved to the nearest of the 29 workshops of the Indian Railways for repair. But the time and luxury for such things is not easily available with the Indian Railways.”

Railways now looking at vacuum toilets

Confronting “irresolvable issues” on the non-functioning of the DRDO toilets, the Indian Railways have begun exploring other options including the procurement of the vacuum toilets commonly used in aircraft or trains in western countries.

The Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF) has already floated a global tender to acquire vacuum toilets. “To begin with, these will be fitted in premier trains including the Rajdhani, Shatabdi and the Durontos,” a ministry official said.

Singh said that the idea was to develop “hybrid toilets” by fitting vacuum toilets atop the bio-digesters already installed. “Subsequently, lavatories will mainly have vacuum toilets, with just one big bio-digester installed in half portion of the guard’s cabin at the end of the train,” the official said.

This policy U-turn means not only that has time and money invested in the bio-digesters has been wasted but also that the railways will now need to pump in more funds to execute its green toilets plan

 

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New toilets in trains no better than septic tanks: IIT-M study

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By Srinand Jha The Economics Times, Nov 23, 2017
A new kind of toilet using bacteria to break down human excreta has been deployed in Indian trains over four years to 2017, at a cost of Rs 1,305 crore, but this toilet is no better than a septic tank, the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) has concluded after a two-year long study.
As many as 93,537 “bio-digesters” — as the toilets are called –have been installed in mainline express and mail trains by the Indian Railways. These are small-scale sewage-treatment systems beneath the toilet seat: Bacteria in a compost chamber digests human excreta, leaving behind water and methane. Only the water, disinfected later, is let out on the tracks.
However, sanitation experts and various studies — including those commissioned by the railways — have pointed out that most of the new “” are ineffective or ill maintained and the water discharged is no better than raw sewage.
“Our tests have found that the organic matter (human waste) collecting in the bio-digesters do not undergo any kind of treatment,” IIT professor Ligy Philip, who headed the latest study, told IndiaSpend. “Like in the septic tanks, these bio-digesters accumulate slush (human excreta mixed with water).”
The IIT-M study was sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and submitted last week to the Union Ministry of Urban Affairs.
Despite the criticism, an additional 120,000 coaches are to be fitted with these bio-toilets, jointly developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Railways, by December 2018. This is likely to cost Rs 1,200 crore, the railways revealed on November 2, in response to a Right to Information (RTI) request.
The bio-digester project began during the previous United Progressive Alliance regime. But the project has been speeded up under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat campaign. The idea is to meet this target in time for the celebration of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th
Indian Railways is often described as the world’s biggest toilet: It ejects around 3,980 tonnes of faecal matter — the equivalent of 497 truck-loads — onto rail tracks every day, according to a report released by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in 2013.
The network has 9,000 passenger trains with 52,000 coaches with toilets that discharge human waste on to rail tracks. Covering 65,500 km across the country, these trains transport 24 million passengers every day, the equivalent of the population of Australia.
Since 1993, the Indian Railways have been experimenting with a host of technologies used worldwide to replace the open discharge system. This included vacuum toilets based on suction, commonly seen in aircraft; “controlled-discharge” toilet systems (CDTS) which allow waste to be dropped only after a train acquires a speed of 30 kmph, thus keeping stations clean; and “zero-discharge” toilets, in which solid waste is stored, evacuated and then dumped in pits for composting and the liquid filtered for recycling.
In 2008, the railways decided to install the bio-digester model developed by the Gwalior-based Defence Research and Development Establishment (DRDE).
Responding to the criticism of the bio-toilet, government officials said that the flaws are being fixed. “The issues regarding the bio-digesters are of a minor nature and are being effectively addressed. Some changes (in design or execution strategies) are inevitable, as this is a continuous process,” said Saxena.
Lokendra Singh, former director of the DRDE, had, after an expedition to Antarctica, brought home psychrophilic bacteria that can survive in extremely low temperatures. The bacteria were mixed with cow dung and normal soil, which have methogens (micro-organisms that produce methane) capable of breaking down human excreta. This was then supplied to the manufacturers of rail bio-digesters
“Because of the presence of a compound of bacteria, the bio-degradation process is set off in the toilet chambers-the bacteria eat up the organic matter (human excreta) and produce methane gas and water as byproducts,” Singh said.
But Singh’s claims of a scientific breakthrough using the bacteria from Antarctica have been questioned on several grounds, including the fact that the bacterium, as Singh admitted, has not obtained an independent or a third-party certification from an organisation such as the UIC (Federation of European Railways
Also, DRDO does not have a patent for the design or manufacture of these bio-toilets. A patent is necessary to market a commercial product. DRDO only has a patent for the design of “railway toilet tank”, as the organisation’s website reveals.
This is not the first time the railways’ bio-toilet project has been criticised. A 2009 study jointly conducted by the Lucknow-based Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) and IIT-Kanpur concluded that no treatment of human excreta was happening in the bio-digesters installed in railway toilets.
“We had found the discharge from these toilets as being no different from raw sewage,” said IIT-K professor Vinod Tare, who had headed the study, which the Railway Ministry has not made public.
On September 14, 2004, DRDO scientist Y. Ashok Babu sent a letter to the then Chief Vigilance Commissioner, Pradeep Kumar, terming the bio-toilets “farce (sic) technology”.
Singh rejected these allegations. “Frustrated scientists who have never worked on the project are raising such issues,” he said. “Of course, there are some problems but these are being addressed by the railways.”
Singh, who has assumed charge as the chairman of the Digesters and Bio-Toilet Manufacturers Association (DBMA) after his retirement from DRDE this year, said questions of “conflict of interest” did not apply in his case, as he held only an “honorary position with the DBMA”.
Documents available with IndiaSpend suggest that there are serious issues with the bio-toilet venture. These were discussed at a high-level meeting convened by the Railway Board on October 26, with functionaries from 17 zones.
During the last three years of the last government (2011-14), 9,350 bio-toilets were fitted in trains but the figure rose by 539 per cent, to 59,735, in the first three years of the NDA government (2014-17). In the current financial year (2017-18), 24,215 bio-toilets had been fitted until August 30, bringing the cumulative figure to 93,537, the railways said in its RTI reply of November 2.
In this period, the cost of manufacture and fitment of bio-toilets climbed from an average of Rs 52,000 per unit to over Rs 75,000 per unit. After the imposition of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), this cost burden has spiked further, with the railways having to absorb the 18 per cent levy.
“Cost escalation is inevitable, as manufacturing costs have been rising,” said Manoj Jha of Faridabad-based Arkin Technologies that manufactures and supplies bio-digesters to the railways.
In response to an RTI appeal from Dehradun-based activist Prabhu Dandriyal, the railways stated that the Hubli workshop of South Western Railways had been supplied 2,152 toilets at a cost of over Rs 22 crore during the financial year 2016-17. Based on this calculation, the current cost being borne by the railways works out to more than Rs 100,000 per unit.
By the time the task is completed, the railways are likely to exceed their budget of Rs 1,200 crore for additional bio-toilets. Arvind Dethe, a bio-toilet manufacturer based in Akola in Maharashtra, has been selling a similar toilet at Rs 6,000.

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Disadvantages caused due to Bio-toilets introduced in the passenger coaches of Indian Railways – NFIR

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National Federation of Indian Railwaymen
3, CHELMSFORD ROAD, NEW DELHI – 110 055

No.II/34/Pt.12

Dated: 10.8.2015

The Member Mechanical,
Railway Board,
New Delhi

Dear Sir,
Sub: Disadvantages caused due to Bio-toilets introduced in the passenger coaches of Indian Railways reg.

The concept of bio-toilets in passenger carrying coaches was given shape by the Railway Ministry some time in the year 2011 when in a few coaches of’ passenger carrying mail/express trains, the bio-toilets were first introduced. NFIR understands that the Railway Ministry plans to fit bio-toilets in all passenger coaches by 2021.

Federation has been receiving number of complaints from the C&W Staff on malfunctioning vis-a-vis disadvantages of the bio-toilets. In this connection, NFIR having gone into the complaints received from the C&W Staff, noticed the following problems which may cause serious health hazards to staff.

The bio-toilet system is very sensitive. It has more than 100% chances of choking even with a bit of ‘Pan Gulka’ spitted in the toilets by the passengers knowing or unknowingly if not flushed properly by the passenger in the moving or stationary trains. Choking in these toilets also takes place due to throwing of Napkins, Cigarette buds, Gutka Pouch, Ladies pads, Plastic Water Boltles or their covers, liquor boltles and garbage of food stuff by the passengers resulting toilet pans and leading to public complaints. This situation has been causing tremendous pressure on staff for no fault of theirs.

The ball-valve provided which should function to drain out the waste to the ground by operating a connected pedal, never works due to faulty design. It is also reported that designs differ from one manufacturer to another, causing problems in procurement of spares.

The RDSO designed simplified standard mechanism to operate the ball valve be not compatible with old designs.

It has been further complained that improper trials of revised versions/modifications before implementation has been the real problem in procurement of spares and has been creating confusion among the Supervisors and Staff in the course maintenance.

The C&W Supervisors and staff working in pit lines have been facing lot of inconvenience during under gear maintenance, examing brake beam, brake
block hanger, brake shoe assermbly, brake blocks, Safety wire rope & their pins, bogies frames and also facing serious inconvenience in piston stroke brake cylinder which faces tank of quite a big size and leaves narrow gap.

Bio-toilets required inspection & maintenance to ensure working of Ball-Valve & its operation linked with p-trap and Hose Connector, mounted and fitted in the narrow gap of the top surface of the tank and trough floor of the coach. C&W Engineers and Staff have been put to lot of difficulties during maintenance and have been subjected to more physical mental stress in day-to-day working. While working are being compelled to inhale foul smells emanating from the choked tanks containing human waste and have started acquiring diseases.

The process of draining out or the choked tanks generates unbearable filthy smell creating inconvenience to other technical staff working on other under gears and at times diverts their attention and Compels to ignore the necessary safety repairs due to bad work environment.
At present we have this system only on 10% of the coaches, causing serious problems. ‘The height of the problems can be measured when 100% coaches will have this system and will it be possible for staff to function? The C&W Supervisors and Slaff are reported to have become like human scavengers. It is worth-mentioning that the Government of India had banned scavenging in the year 1993 consequent to the directions given by the Apex Court through various judgements.

Federation has further been given to understand that as per Railway Board’s guidelines effluent test is required to be conducted to over 5% population of each type of coaches at an interval of 3 months and is to be conducted by the expert laboratory Staff. Unfortunatety, the Railway Authorities, instead of using Lab Staff for the said purpose, have been pestering C&W Staff to collect effluent from Bio-Tanks for conducting test in some Depots like Gwalior, despite the fact that this job is not related to C&W staff.

Federation notes with disappointment that the ‘Bio-toilet’ system introduced on the I.R. is claimed to be environment friendly but it is not so. particularly for the C&W Supervisors & Technical Staff of Mechanical Department.

NFIR, therefore. requests the Railway Board (MM) to kindly see that thorough review is conducted before proceeding further for introducing Bio-toilets in coaches.

Yours faithfully,
sd/-

(Dr M. Raghavaiah)
General Secretary
Source: NFIR

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DRDO’s Agra lab spends Rs 49.50 cr, 6 yrs, in developing surveillance system which fails Army standards

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Arvind Chauhan | Jul 24, 2017, 10:01 AM IST
AGRA: The Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), a laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), spent Rs 49.50 crore to develop a balloon-based platform for surveillance and communication, but failed to meet Army standards after years of work, according to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
For the project, ADRDE also imported special fabric worth Rs 6.20 crore but never used it during trials of the system. Last year, CAG rapped ADRDE for failing to produce combat free fall (CFF) parachutes for special forces in more than a decade after incurring expenses of Rs 10.75 crore.
According to the report, the ministry of defence sanctioned a technology demonstration project, ‘Nakshatra’, to ADRDE in July 2011, to develop an aerostat platform with net payload capacity of 300 kg and an endurance of seven to 14 days, with balloon life of four to five years.
“Based on the earlier experience with ” — another medium-size aerostat developed by using polyurethane (PU) coated nylon fabric, the ADRDE decided to use laminated fabric, which was supposed to double the endurance of the aerostat to two weeks and shelf life from 18 months to 4-5 years. Therefore, the ADRDE imported laminated fabric at the cost of Rs 6.20 crore,” stated the report.
“Interestingly, the imported laminated fabric was never used and the DRDO lab used only PU coated nylon fabric for the balloon. Later the project was shut down in January 2017, as the Army did not accept the product, incurring a loss of Rs 49.50 crore to the exchequer,” the report added.
Speaking to TOI, public relations officer S M Jain of ADRDE said, “The project was a complete success. We tested the technology of ADRDE at Gurdaspur, Punjab, close to the India-Pakistan border in 2016. Further, the Army demanded that the trials be extended for two more years at various locations close to international borders, but they didn’t give us more funds to conduct the trials. So the operational feasibility of the system was never tested and the project was shut down.”
ADRDE officials also claimed that the balloon made of laminated fabric was kept as a spare and would have been utilised in case of any damage to PU coated nylon fabric balloon.
Army officials however said that the system trials of ‘Nakshatra’ were only carried out for three days. “So the effectiveness of the communication sets loaded on the balloon could not be ascertained. We requested ADRDE to deploy the system for three months to test its efficacy, before we could take over the system for extended trials,” an official said.
Only a few countries in the world have such systems of their own, including the US, Germany, France and Japan.

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CBI carries out searches in Rs 500 crore land scam

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THE ASIAN AGE. Published : May 16, 2017, 3:21 am IST Updated : May 16, 2017, 3:21 am IST
The vigilance department of the defence ministry had pegged the scam to be of Rs 500 crore.

Case is related to an alleged fraud by Lt. Col. M.G. Thimmaya (the then estate manager, DRDO) and a property developer N.H. Rustumji.

New Delhi: The CBI on Monday conducted searches at seven locations, including the officials and residential premises of an Army officer, in an alleged land fraud believed to be worth Rs 500 crore.

According to sources, the case is related to an alleged fraud by Lt. Col. M.G. Thimmaya (the then estate manager, DRDO) and a property developer N.H. Rustumji. Lt. Col. Thimmaya allegedly gave a joint memo before the court in the land dispute matter which was different from that cleared by the Defence Ministry.

Talking to reporters here CBI Spokesperson said, “The allegation is related to criminal conspiracy between accused during the year 2004-06, pursuant to which the officer abused his official position and cheated the government through the transfer of 12 acres 1 gunta of land in favour of a private person against the decision taken by the ministry of defence”.

The agency on Monday carried out searches at the residential and official premises of Lt. Col. Thimmaya, now with defence ministry in Hyderabad, and Rustumji in Bengaluru and district Kodagu. The vigilance department of the defence ministry had pegged the scam to be of Rs 500 crore. “The agency sleuths recovered several incriminating documents during searches. These documents are being scrutinised. They have been booked under the relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act,” sources said. The agency will soon call Lt. Col. Thimmaya and Mr Rustumji for questioning.

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ILLEGAL APPOINTMENT OF MS. SHWETA SINGH, SRF AT DRL, TEZPUR BY DR. VIJAY VEER, DIRECTOR, DEFENCE RESEARCH LABORATORY(DRL), DRDO,TEZPUR

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To,                                                                                           Date – 25th May 2015                         Shri Manohar Parikar                                                                                                                       Defence Minister                                                                                                                               Room No -104 South Block,                                                                                                           Ministry of Defence                                                                                                                           New Delhi-110011

SUBJECT: IRREGULARITIES IN APPOINTMENT OF MS. SHWETA SINGH, JRF and SRF AT DEFENCE RESEARCH LABORATORY (DRL), TEZPUR BY DR. VIJAY VEER, DIRECTOR, DRL, TEZPUR, DRDO, MIN. OF DEFENCE

Sir,

Within last 10 years a bunch of DRDO officials running DRDO with their own made rules whether it is related of procurements or recruitments like the following case of recruitment of Ms Sweta Singh as JRF/SRF in DRL, DRDO, Tezpur by  Dr. Vijay Veer, Director is a small example of manipulations in GOI laid down rules.

  1. Defence Research Laboratory (DRL), Tezpur (Assam) is an establishment under Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), Ministry of Defence.
  2. Vijay Veer, Scientist ‘G’ is Director, DRL, Tezpur with effect from 01 March 2012. Prior to him Dr. Lokendra Singh was Director of this establishment since the year 2010 to 28 Feb 2012.
  3. A.K. Singh is Director (Personnel), Dte. Of Personnel (DOP) at DRDO HQ, DRDO Bhawan, New Delhi with effect from 01 Dec 2012 and prior to this he was posted as Director, DHRD at DRDO HQ from Oct 2010 to 27 Feb 2013.
  4. A.K. Singh, Director (Personnel) hails from Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh which is evident from his IPR available at DRDO website. Copy of IPR is attached as Annexure No. -1.
  5. Shri Virendra Pal Singh (V.P. Singh) who is an official of Arunachal Pradesh, Government also hails from Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.
  6. Lokendra Singh, Dr. Vijay Veer and Dr. RKR Singh, TO ‘C’, Estate Officer and Shri V.P. Singh are good friend and know each other very well as Shri V.P. Singh regularly staying at DRL, Guest House, Tezpur since past several years while he is not an DRDO/Service employee and no office/project of Arunachal Pradesh Government is existing at DRL, Tezpur. The rent of VIP suits at DRL, Guest house is only Rs. 50 -100 while the same accommodation at Hotel in Tezpur is about Rs. 2000-2500. The reasons why Dr. Lokendra Singh, Ex-Director, DRL and Dr. Vijay Veer, Director, DRL giving such kind of privilege to Shri V.P. Singh is matter of investigation?
  7. Even the Arunachal Pradesh Government Vehicle with Registration No. AR 01E 0879 is regularly parked at House of Dr. RKR Singh, TO ‘C’, Estate Officer, DRL, Tezpur. The same Government vehicle was also found in New DRL Guest House. The Photograph of Vehicle No. AR 01E 0879 of Arunachal Pradesh Government parked at New DRL Guest House is attached as Annexure No. -2.
  8. A.K. Singh, Director(Personnel) , DRDO HQ is holding sensitive posts continuously since past 8 years as Director, CEPTAM, Director, DHRD and Director(Personnel), which is against CVC Guidelines. I have filed three complaints against him to PMO & MOD on charges of Corruption. He was holding the post of Director, DHRD from October 2010 – 27 February 2013. DHRD is responsible for recruitment of JRF, SRF and Research Associates in various DRDO establishments and formulates guidelines for their appointments etc.

This complaint is regarding irregular appointment of Ms. Shweta Singh D/o Shri V.P. Singh, Aligarh as Junior Research Fellow (JRF) followed by  Senior Research Fellow (SRF) with two years extension by Dr. Vijay Veer, Director, DRL, Tezpur and extra payment of stipend while she was absent from DRL, Tezpur for about one year.

Brief Facts of the Case

  1. Shweta Singh, d/o Shri V.P. Singh was appointed as Junior Research Fellow (JRF) at DRL, Tezpur for a period of two year with effect from 03.10.2011 to 02.10.2013. She joined at DRL, Tezpur on 03.10.2011 and posted at Pharmaceutical Technology Division.
  2. Shweta Singh was getting stipend of Rs. 16000/- month from DRL, Tezpur. She remains absent/highly irregular at DRL, Tezpur during January 2013 to December 2013. Meantime she got married on 28 November 2013 at Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh). She joined back at DRL, Tezpur on 13 January 2014.
  3. In reply to one letter from Admin Division of DRL, Tezpur, Dr. P. Chattopadhyay, Group Head, Pharmaceutical Technology Division informed to Director, DRL, Tezpur vide his letter dated 07-10-2013 on Subject “Absent of Ms. Shweta Singh, JRF, Pharmaceutical Technology Division absent from 8th July 2013” stating thereby That “I am inform you that Ms Shweta Singh, JRF, Pharmaceutical Technology Division absent from 8th July 2013”. Copy of the letter dated 07.10.2013 is annexed as Annexure No. -3.
  4. On direction of Dr. Vijay Veer, Director, DRL, Ms. Shweta Singh, JRF got full stipend of the period while she was absent from DRL, Tezpur. Some complaint and RTI were filed by some persons in the matter therefore under pressure of PCDA, Dr. Vijay Veer ordered to Admin & Finance division to recover one month stipend from her. Rs. 17600/- was recovered vide letter 51/13/AE dated 28/10/2013. Copy of the letter No. 51/13/AE dated 28/10/2013 is annexed as Annexure No. -4. The same amount was deposited by Ms. Shweta Singh vide Chq. No. 508551 dated 8/5/2014. Copy of the letter dated 08/05/2014 sent from Mrs. Shweta Singh, SRF to Director, DRL regarding “Return of Excess Payment”, is annexed as Annexure No. -5.
  5. I submitted an application under RTI Act 2005 dated 26 July 2014 in the matter of Ms. Shweta Singh, JRF to CPIO, DRDO HQ, New Delhi but till date CPIO, DRDO did not replied. Copy of the application under RTI Act 2005 dated 26 July 2014 is attached as Annexure No. -6.
  6. Detailed attendance sheet of Ms. Shweta Singh from Biometric Punching Attendance System of said period may establish her long absence from DRL, Tezpur. But extra payment for only one month and three days of stipend was recovered from her by DRL, Tezpur on direction of Dr. Vijay Veer. Due to expose of the matter, DRL stopped her stipend with effect from 03 October 2013. Till date she did not get any stipend from DRL, Tezpur.
  7. As per the DO-II No. 07 dated 20.04.2012, her tenure for JRF was automatically ended on 02.10.2013. She was absent in month of October 2013 but Dr. Vijay Veer gave another big favor to her. He constituted an Assessment Committee consisting of three senior officers namely Dr. H.K. Gogoi, Scientist ‘F’, Shri Indrajeet Baruah, Scientist ‘F’ and Dr. P. Chattopadhyay, Scientist ‘D’  vide DO-II No. 07 dated 25.04.2014 to gave extension of one year to Fellowship of Ms. Shweta Singh, JRF with retrospective effect from 03.10.2013 while she was not present during said period in DRL, Tezpur and appointed her as SRF. Copy of the DO-II dated 25.04.2014 is annexed as Annexure No. -7. It was mentioned in said DO-II dated 25.04.2014 that “Extension of tenure of fellowship of the above named individual with effect from 3rd October 2013 for one year as per recommendation of the Assessment Committee held on 24th March 2014 at DRL, Tezpur”.
  8. As per DHRD, DRDO guidelines  extension for one year can only be provided to a JRF candidate after his/her presentation before Assessment Committee constituted by Director well before the expiry of tenure of 02 years of the JRF.
  9. It is big manipulation and conspiracy that Ms. Shweta Singh never appeared before the Assessment Committee and she got extension of one year with retrospective effect by Assessment Committee vide DO-II No. 07 dated 25.04.2014. The said Assessment Committee was constituted by Dr. Vijay Veer, Director, DRL, Tezpur in the March 2014, which held the meeting on 24 March 2014.
  10. The recommendation of the Assessment Committee was approved by Dr. Vijay Veer, Director and Ms. Shweta Singh got extension for fellowship as SRF for one year from 03.10.2013 to 02.10.2014 vide DO-II No. 07 dated 25.04.2014.
  11. Surprisingly, while tenure of Ms. Shweta Singh, JRF was automatically ended on 02 October 2013 vide DO-II NO. 07 dated 20.04.2012, then why Dr. Vijay Veer allowed her to work in DRL, Tezpur till April 2014 and gave ex-post-facto sanction without any authority?
  12. Shweta Singh got married on 12 November 2013 and She was absent during the period from 03 October to 12 January 2014, then why DRL, Tezpur allowed her to join at DRL, Tezpur while her tenure was ended automatically on 02.10.2013?
  13. Extension for fellowship with retrospective effect is completely illegal as (i) Tenure of JRF remains only for two years, it cannot be extended in case of Ms. Shweta Singh as her term expired on 02 October 2013. (ii) With back date appointments/extensions to fellowship are not permissible under any rule of DRDO and GOI.

Hence extension to fellowship wef 03 October 2013 for one year by order dated 25.04.2014 is totally illegal and irregular. It should be cancelled.

  1. She was getting stipend of Rs. 16000/- per month as JRF and Rs. 18000/- per month as SRF.
  2. Under pressure of complaint to PCDA and RTI Application to CPIO, DRDO, DRL, Tezpur stopped the payment of her stipend with effect from 03 October 2014 up to till date. But to favor Ms. Shweta Singh, Dr. Vijay Veer ordered Finance Division to make bill for payment of stipend to Ms. Shweta Singh and accordingly a bill of approximately Rs. 2,12,439/- was made and sent to PCDA, New Delhi in February 2015 vide DRL letter No. 30/PAS/JRF/SRF/2014-2015 dated 02.02.2015. Copy of the bill sent to PCDA, New Delhi is annexed as Annexure No. -8.
  3. PCDA returned the said bill with following objections: (i) To submit attendance sheet of the Ms. Shweta Singh, (ii) Authority letter by which she was appointed as SRF by Director, DRL, Tezpur vide their letter dated 16.03.2015. Copy of the letter received to DRL, Tezpur dated 16.03.2015 from Accounts Officer, PCDA, Delhi is annexed as Annexure No. -9.
  4. Despite the above incidences, Dr. Vijay Veer again constituted Assessment Committee in November 2014 comprising of HK Gogoi, Scientist ‘F’, Dr. P. Chattopadhyay, Scientist ‘D’ , Dr. SN Dutta, Scientist ‘C’ and Shri S. Doley, TO ‘D’. This committee has a meeting on 24.11.2014 and recommended the 6 months extension to Ms. Shweta Singh, SRF for the fourth year. The minutes of the meeting was approved by Dr. Vijay Veer, Director, DRL, Tezpur on the same day 24.11.2014. Copy of the Minutes of Assessment Committee is annexed as Annexure No. -10.
  5. DRL, Tezpur has not submitted any reply to objections of PCDA till date and she did not get any payment since January 2014 to till date from DRL, Tezpur.
  6. Vijay Veer, Director, DRL, Tezpur is running this JRF-SRF business since his joining at DRL, Tezpur and normally per year 10-12 candidates being appointed by irregular means. Recently in the year 2014 and 2015 more than 25 vacancies were advertised. This year Interview going to held on 19 May 2015. Copy of the advertisement for the year 2014 and 2015 for recruitment of JRF, SRF and RA are annexed as Annexure No. -11 and Annexure No. -12.

Irregularities and Corruption by Dr. Vijay Veer in appointment of Shweta Singh, JRF

  1. Vijay Veer, Director, DRL, Tezpur unduly favored Ms. Shweta Singh and gave her an illegal extension in fellowship with intent to get pecuniary advantage to her by misusing his official position.
  2. Not only to her, Dr. Vijay Veer is giving high privileges to his father Shri V.P. Singh by allowing him to stay at DRL, Guest House since long time.
  3. This act of Dr. Vijay Veer amounts conspiracy against Government with ill motives to make a loss to public money and gave financial benefit to Ms. Shweta Singh by misusing his powers and official position by gross violation of DRDO Guidelines.
  4. Vijay Veer is attempted to make a payment of about Rs. 2,12,439/- in lump sum to Ms. Shweta Singh despite knowing her extension to fellowship was illegal.
  5. The said misconduct and misuse of power for giving pecuniary advantage to Ms. Shweta Singh, JRF by Dr. Vijay Veer, Director, DRL, Tezpur comes under section 13.(1)(d) of Prevention of Corruption Act 1988.

In light of above evidences it is  requested to you Sir,  issue appropriate direction to Secretary, DRD, South Block, New Delhi to:

  • Cancel the appointment order of Ms. Shweta Singh as JRF and SRF at DRL Tezpur and stop her payment till finalization of the complaint.
  • Not to award Ph.D. degree to Ms. Shweta Singh as her appointment as SRF is illegal and she was absent during her tenure as JRF in 2013.
  • Issue order to recover extra payment from Ms. Shweta Singh which DRL, Tezpur paid to her while she was on long absent from DRL, Tezpur for more than one year.
  • Setup an enquiry against Dr. Vijay Veer under CCS (CCA) Rules 1965 and Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 to give undue favour to Ms. Shweta Singh, SRF, DRL, Tezpur.
  • Cancel the recruitment process of JRF and SRF in DRL, Tezpur for the year 2015.

Regards

Prabhu  Dandriyal,
21-Sunderwala, Raipur, Dehradun -248008                                                                               Phone 0135- 2787750, Mobile- 9411114879,                                                                                  e-mail id prabhudoon@gmail.com  website www.corruptionindrdo.com

Enclosed – Annexure No. 1 to 12.

Copy of IPR of Dr. A.K. Singh, Director (Personnel), DRDO HQ
Copy of IPR of Dr. A.K. Singh, Director (Personnel), DRDO HQ
The Photograph of Vehicle No. AR 01E 0879 of Arunachal Pradesh Government parked at New DRL Guest House
The Photograph of Vehicle No. AR 01E 0879 of Arunachal Pradesh Government parked at New DRL Guest House

 

Copy of the letter dated 07.10.2013 from Dr. P Chattopadhyay, Head, Pharmaceutical Technology Division
Copy of the letter dated 07.10.2013 from Dr. P Chattopadhyay, Head, Pharmaceutical Technology Division
sweta case anx4
Copy of the letter No. 51/13/AE dated 28/10/2013 related to refund of excess payment to Ms Shweta Singh
Copy of the letter dated 08/05/2014 sent from Ms. Shweta Singh, SRF to Director, DRL regarding “Return of Excess Payment”
Copy of the letter dated 08/05/2014 sent from Ms. Shweta Singh, SRF to Director, DRL regarding “Return of Excess Payment”
Copy of the application under RTI Act 2005 dated 26 July 2014
Copy of the application under RTI Act 2005 dated 26 July 2014

Annexure-7

DO Part Order No – II No. 7 Dated 25/04/2014

(b) – MRS. SHWETA SINGH- JRF

Ref: – This Lab DO Part Order No – II No. 7 Dated 25/04/2012. Extension of tenure of the fellowship of the above named individual with effect from 3rd October 2013 for one year, as per recommendation of Assessment Committee held on 24th March, 2014 at DRL, Tezpur (Assam)

Copy of the bill sent to PCDA, New Delhi in respect of Ms. Shweta Singh, SRF vide DRL letter No. 30/PAS/JRF/SRF/2014-2015 dated 02.02.2015
Copy of the bill sent to PCDA, New Delhi in respect of Ms. Shweta Singh, SRF vide DRL letter No. 30/PAS/JRF/SRF/2014-2015 dated 02.02.2015
sweta case anx9
Copy of the letter received to DRL, Tezpur dated 16.03.2015 from Accounts Officer, PCDA, New Delhi
Copy of the Minutes of Assessment Committee held on 24.11.2014.
Copy of the Minutes of Assessment Committee held on 24.11.2014.
Copy of the advertisement for JRF for the year 2014
Copy of the advertisement for JRF for the year 2014
Copy of the advertisement for JRF for the year 2015
Copy of the advertisement for JRF for the year 2015

 

 

PMO

Donation Without Consent Leaves Army Offices Fuming Against Chief

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Tuesday, January 20, 2015 – Ex-serviceman welfare – Blog                                   Chiefhttp://ex-servicemenwelfare.blogspot.in/2015/01/donation-without-consent-leaves-army.html

NEW DELHI: Forced charity can pinch. Indian army, the world’s second largest, experienced this pinch when they recently came to know of the cutting of a day’s salary. They later found that Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag didn’t consider it necessary to issue a note informing army’s officials before deducting their salaries and presenting the collected amount of `100 Crore for the Prime Minister’s relief fund.

Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag on behalf of  the 1.3 million strong Indian Army on Thursday donated a cheque of over `100 crore to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund after forgoing their one-day salary at the traditional ‘At Home’ at the Army House on the occasion of 76th Army Day. However, the prime minister was not even aware of it.

The Indian army played a major role in the relief and rescue operation in last year’s flood in Jammu and Kashmir by rescuing over 2 lakh stranded people in an operation which lasted for two weeks. The issue has now raised a controversy on the social media, as army officials are claiming that they were not informed about their salary cut and it was not made ‘voluntary’. Caught unaware of the chief’s arbitrary decision, some of the top army officials are even planning to file RTIs to the army headquarters to find out under whose orders the salary cut is being done.

Sources told the Sunday Standard that instructions were issued from the office of the Adjutant General who handles service matter of army, to the Controller of Defiance Account to do the salary cut of one day of every army personnel.  With this order, one day salary of the month January will be deducted to the relief fund.  When contacted for the Army’s version, sources said that army regularly contributes for natural calamity and will continue to do so. “Army followed procedures and rules and this is not the first time, we are doing it,” army sources said. This time, donation was for the Jammu and Kashmir flood relief fund. But, the army officials were surprised with the timing of the donation. It was after six months of the disaster.

“It Can Happen Only In India….!!!! On the occasion of Army Day our Chief Of Army Staff presents a Cheque worth ` 100 Crores to the Prime Minister as PM Releif Fund. The money has been generated by cutting One Day Salary of everybody working in the Indian Army. What an Irony .… Our war widows struggle for their day to day living… Our jawans are not able to afford good education for their Children… and here we become so large hearted to donate money to the politicians… Did the COAS take our permission before doing this…??? When did he start having rights on our hard earned Money…??? Has any Civilian / Politician ever donated his salary for us..? It is time we raise our voice and stop this nonsense before it becomes precedence. Why should we pay for their future Goals,” an official said on WhatsApp.

And he is not the only one, annoyed with it. “Our jawans, who battle under hostile weather conditions with poorly equipped weapons and armory, and his family, survives on the salary. If you are deducting his salary, it has to be voluntary. One cannot do it arbitrarily,” another official said. Even three months back, the Indian air force had also made donation of ` 8.43 crore to the PM Relief fund through donation of a day’s salary of its over 1.7 lakh officers and med deployed across the country. The IAF headquarters had taken consent of its officials before going for the salary cut.

(Source – Jottings blog)

http://www.newindianexpress.com/thesundaystandard/Donation-Without-Consent-Leaves-Army-Offices-Fuming-Against-Chief/2015/01/18/article2623931.ece

Posted by GaviniVN at 7:33 PM

14 comments:

Anonymous January 20, 2015 at 9:54 PM

Our present COAS certainly will get some cubernational appointment on retirement. One should not ask any one for donation. It is up to the individual concerned. If someone wants he can donate directly to the PM Relief Fund or whatsoever.

Reply

Anonymous January 20, 2015 at 10:12 PM

This happens only in india

Reply

pka1971 January 20, 2015 at 11:26 PM

HE HAS GIVEN BRIBE OF 100 CR TO BECOME GOVERNOR

Reply

pka1971 January 20, 2015 at 11:27 PM

HE HAS PAID BRIBE FROM OUR POCKETS OF RS 100 CR TO BECOME GOVERNOR

Reply

pka1971January 20, 2015 at 11:27 PM

100 CR BRIBE TO BECOME AMBASSADER

Reply

Ashok January 21, 2015 at 10:32 AM

Really how so cheap they are?

Reply

Sudesan January 21, 2015 at 1:29 PM

The chief of Army has no power to order forceful donation to any one. So he has committed a crime under Army Act. Had the same thing done by any body other than chief the fellow would have faced action under Army Act. Very shame full act he has done for which who can take action against him. Govt has to think over it proceed suitably so that such kind of action is not under taken by any Chief of the Army in future.

Reply

Anonymous January 21, 2015 at 7:55 PM

There is no power vested on him to deduct somebody’s hard earned salary like this. He should have remembered the widows of soldiers on that day. Had Fd Marshal Manekshaw would have passed orders like this or Fd Marshal Cariappa for that matter? There is a requirement of taking disciplinary action against this COAS AND THE AMOUNT SHOULD BE RETURNED TO THE PERSONNELS’ SALARY FROM WHOSE SALARY IT WAS DEDUCTED.

Reply

Manikandan KJ anuary 21, 2015 at 11:09 PM

It is very simple. Volunteers are always detailed in Defense Forces.

Reply

Anonymous January 22, 2015 at 6:17 AM

new version of apple polishing ( CHAMACHAGIRI)

Reply

Anonymous January 22, 2015 at 8:26 AM

Defence forces doesn’t get fat pays to part with, that should be a voluntarily done not by detailing as someone pointed out in the previous comments. Detailing in defence language is nothing but compulsory

Reply

AnonymousJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:13 PM

we the all esm will donate the one year pension in PM relief fund if the orop shoulkd be implemented wef 01Jan 2006.

Reply

Anonymous January 22, 2015 at 8:03 PM

Dear Veterans of our armed forces,

If the chiefs of three forces insist the prime minster,who is very good orator in HIndi,he orop will be immediately implemented.But they will not! Why?After retirement they too want good posts in govt,like governors etc.Who authorised the COA to cut the salary for making donations to PM,?Did the PM aske him personally?Let him donate his one year salary to him if he is so much worried about this nation.Even president of India does not have power to cut the salary and need not to mentiion about COAS? WHO IS HE?

Reply

Mani Kandan January 23, 2015 at 10:23 PM

Do u expect the three chiefs to talk in one voice? That is not correct Sir. That is mutiny Sir. No Sir. They r highly disciplined officers. They don’t talk. They roar like a lion to men placed below them. But to political masters, they give a smart salute and say ‘yes Sir, yes Sir’ Talking in one voice? How to do that sir? After all we have three mouths!

Reply

Drdo

CAG picks holes in LCA project, says it fails to meet IAF requirements

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tejas ET 8 may 2015
Not only that, IAF would be “constrained” to induct the fighter LCA without availability of a trainer model, thereby “adversely impacting pilot training.”

By PTI | 8 May, 2015, 07.40PM IST – The Economic Times
NEW DELHI: India’s Tejas Light Combat Aircraft project, in the works for over three decades, came under severe criticism from CAG today as it pointed out that its Mark-I version has 53 “significant shortfalls” which have reduced its operational capabilities as well as survivability.

Not only that, IAF would be “constrained” to induct the fighter LCA without availability of a trainer model, thereby “adversely impacting pilot training”, the audit body said in a report tabled in Parliament.

The CAG noted that it was due to the delay in the manufacture and supply of LCA that IAF had to go for alternative temporary measures such as upgrading its MIG BIS, MiG-29, Jaguar, and Mirage aircraft at a cost of Rs 20,037 crore and revise the phasing out of MiG-21s.

“LCA Mark-I, which achieved Initial Operational Clearance (December, 2013) has significant shortfalls (53 permanent waivers/concessions” in meeting ASR (Air Staff Requirements) as a result of which it will have reduced operational capabilities and reduced survivability, thereby limiting its operational employability when inducted into IAF squadrons,” the report said.

Listing the shortcomings, the CAG said that the LCA Mark- I fails to meet the electronic warfare capabilities sought by IAF as the Self-Protection Jammer could not be fitted on the aircraft due to space constraints.

Also, it said that the Radar Warning Receiver/Counter Measure Dispensing System fitted on the aircraft had raised performance concerns which are yet to be overcome till January this year.

It added that the shortcomings in the Mark-I (increased weight, reduced internal fuel capacity, non-compliance of fuel system protection, pilot protection from front, reduced speed) are expected to be overcome in the Mark-II model.

“LCA Mark-I does not meet the ASR. The deficiencies are now expected to be met in LCA Mark-II by December 2018,” the CAG said.

IAF had proposed in the early 1980s that a new aircraft be developed to replace the MiG-21 fleet, manufactured during 1966 and 1987, after its phasing out in the 1990s.

The project for indigenous design and development of LCA was sanctioned in 1983 at a cost of Rs 560 crore, which was enhanced from time to time up to Rs 10,397.11 crore.

The government in June, 1984, constituted an Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) as a dedicated institution for the management of the LCA project.
IAF had issued Air Staff Requirement (ASR) in October, 1985, envisaging a light-weight multi-mission fighter with contemporary air combat and offensive air support capabilities and excellent manoeuvrability for close air combat at low and medium altitudes.

The projected requirement was for 220 Light Combat Aircraft (200 Fighters, 20 trainers) to be inducted by 1994.
However, LCA could only achieve Initial Operational Clearance in December, 2013, as against the earlier scheduled date of December, 2005.

The Full Operational Clearance (FOC), which was scheduled to be completed by December, 2008, is now slated to be achieved by December this year although experts said even that could be delayed.

The CAG said that ADA’s decision to advance the building of two prototypes from Full-Scale Engineering Development (FSED) Phase-II to FSED Phase-I so as to utilise its savings on the grounds of accelerating the development process of LCA had failed to yield the desired results.

This, the report said, was because preponed prototypes were deficient in terms of critical onboard systems (Multi- Mode Radar, Self-Protection Jammer, Radar Warning Receiver) and led to ADA using the Limited Series Production (LSP) aircraft (meant for IAF use) towards flight testing/evaluation of these critical on board systems.

“This was in contravention of the Cabinet approval (November, 2001) for phased development of the prototypes in FSED Phase-II after Technical Demonstrators had been built and flight tested for 210 hours,” CAG said.

Talking about lack of trainer aircraft, the audit body said that IAF was in the interim using an upgraded Full Mission Simulator (FMS) at ADA for pilot training, pending supply of an FMS by HAL at the LCA operating base.

It said that the long gestation period led to a change of weapon systems on LCA, necessitating the acquisition of new ones.

The audit body also had a word of appreciation for the ADA, saying its work centres on the indigenous development of the LCA, “which is comparable to many contemporary aircraft in the world”.

CAG said that the manufacturing facilities at HAL cater presently to the production of only four aircraft per annum as against the envisaged requirement of eight due to delays in procuring plant and machinery, tools and also construction of production hangars, which would further impact production of LCA and induction into IAF squadrons.

Repair and Overhaul (ROH) facility for LCA, as specified in the ASR, has not been created fully at HAL, the CAG said.

Of the 344 Line Replaceable Units of LCA, 90 LRUs were considered non-repairable, it said. Of the remaining 254 LRUs, while ROH facilities in respect of 185 were available, the same was yet to be established for 69 LRUs as of January this year, the report added.

The CAG stressed on the need for more efficient management of planning and execution of aircraft development programmes, closer interaction and coordinated efforts among all the stakeholders involved.
It recommended that realistic timelines should be set by MoD while seeking approval for such projects from the government and that the same ..

should be adhered to during their execution with coordinated planning and an effective in-built monitoring mechanism.

“In view of the complexity of the technology involved, while deviating from the approved plan of development, ADA should consult the user (Air HQ) and obtain prior approval of sanctioning authority/ministry for such deviations so as to minimise waivers and concessions at the time of acceptance by the user (IAF),” it said.

The agencies — DRDO, ADA and HAL — should undertake the projects strictly in conformity with the specifications projected by IAF, who should be involved right from the planning stage so as to ensure timely achievement of their requirements.

Indigenisation efforts should be made in coordination with all the agencies involved by having a well-defined indigenisation plan and a clear roadmap for developing a quality product as per the requirement so as to avoid import substitution, it said.

“MoD should award contract to production agency at an appropriate stage of development of a system/equipment in order to avoid the necessity of extending delivery schedule due to a delay in the development of the system, apart from the resultant blocking of funds/inventory and to overcome obsolescence of the components procured by the production agency,” the CAG said.

Drdo

Bander Bant (बंदर बाँट) of lab level award and financial share from award money from public fund although Dr. Vijay Veer, Director, DRL, Tezpur was himself was Approving Authority for Lab Level Award.

17 Comments

To                                                                                18th  May 2015                                             Hon’ble Shri Manohar Parrikar,                                                                                   Defence Minister,Room No -104,                                                                                             South Block, New Delhi-110011

Subject: Bander Bant (बंदर बाँट) of lab level award and financial share from award money from public fund although Dr. Vijay Veer, Director, DRL, Tezpur was himself Approving Authority for Lab Level Award.

Sir,

Kindly refer to DRDO Newsletter (A monthly House Bulletin of DRDO), Vol. 35 No. 1, Jan 2015, page 9 which covered the news “Raising Day Celebration at DRL, Tezpur”. Copy of the same is annexed as Annexure-1.

Also refer to DRDO website drdo.gov.in with link page policies. Copy annexed as Annexure-2, it is clearly stated that LAB LEVEL AWARDS will be distributed with Approval of the Director of the concerned lab is required on their recommendations of the Lab Level Award Committee. These awards include Scientist ofthe Year Awardto   Scientist of the Laboratory with cash prize of Rs. 25,000 and Technology Group Award for Group/Team of Scientists/ Engineers/support staff with cash prize of Rs.50,000.

It is common practice in most of the Lab/Estt. of DRDO that Director never be the part of awardee group as  he himself is approving authority for approving the lab level award and due to “conflict of interest” , Director should not be one of the member among the awardees.

There was no such kind of dirty practice in DRL, Tezpur till the year 2009. Copy of Awards List for 2009 is annexed as Annexure-3, but since joining of Dr. Lokendra Singh as Director, DRL, Tezpur a new unethical and corrupt practice started at DRL by which Dr. Lokendra Singh took two Technology Group Award for the year 2010 and 2011. Copy annexed as Annexure-4.

Similarly Dr. Vijay Veer took the Technology Group Award for the year 2012, 2013 and 2014. Copy annexed as Annexure-5.

But ethics, morals and integrity was kept on one side by greedy  Directors Dr. Lokendra Singh (Bio digester Man of DRDO) Ex -Director, DRL, 2010-28 Feb 2012) and   Dr. Vijay Veer (Director , DRL, Tezpur from 01 March 2012 – Till Date) when both these Directors started to take Technology Group Award for himself along with contribution in price money.

In the year 2014, Dr. Vijay Veer, Director, DRL, Tezpur himself approved his name for Technology Group Award and Dr. I. Baruah; Scientist ‘F’ himself recommended his name while he was member of Committee for selection of lab level award for the year 2014. Copy of the letter dated 03rd November 2014 itself discloses the whole story.

Sir, the issue is concerned with misuse of power for financial benefits, greediness, degradation of ethics and violation of DRDO policy for awards by Dr. Vijay Veer, Director, DRL, Tezpur.

Therefore, it is request you to issue orders to withdraw Technology Group Awards for the year 2012, 2013 and 2014 from Dr. Vijay Veer, Director, DRL, Tezpur and Dr. Lokendra Singh Bio digester Man of DRDO, both should be ordered to deposit the public money received in these awards to Government account.

Sir, DRDO scientists are great to do exemplary manipulations and misinterpretation of GOI rules for their personal benefits.

Regards

Prabhu Dandriyal,
21-Sunderwala, Raipur,Dehradun-248008,                                                                               Phone 0135- 2787750, Mobile- 9411114879,                                                                               e-mail id prabhudoon@gmail.com  website www.corruptionindrdo.com

Annexure-1: DRDO Newsletter Vol. 35 No. 1, Jan 2015, page 9 which covered the news “Raising Day Celebration at DRL, Tezpur”.

Annexure-2:  DRDO website drdo.gov.in with link page policies for DRDO Awards.

Annexure-3:  Copy of list of Awardees for the year 2009.

Annexure-4:  Copy of the evidences that shows Dr; Lokendra Singh, Director, took Technology Group Award.

Annexure-5: Copy of the letter dated 03rd November 2014 and Annual Reports of DRL, Tezpur.

DRL tezpur in drdo news letter
Annexure -1
DRDO in house awards
Annexure-2

DRDO in house awards 2011drl tezpur inhouse awards 2012drl tezpur inhouse awards 2013drl tezpur inhouse awards 2014

PMO

Bio-toilets Fail to Flush out Open Defecation in Bhadrak

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By Express News Service Published: 23rd August 2014 09:05 AM

BALASORE: The much-touted bio-toilets are lying defunct in Bhadrak district for over a year as technical details of construction of the toilets are neither available with District Water and Sanitation Mission (DWSM) nor its State counterpart.

The bio-toilets were installed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in association with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) on a pilot basis in Dhamara and Basudevpur of the coastal district which houses India’s strategic missile test facility at Wheeler Island.

Sources said of 12 such loos set up in 2012, only three are in working condition now. While eight bio-toilets, dubbed as E-loos, were installed in villages, four were set up in Basudevpur NAC area. The toilets were constructed for community use at Jayadurgapatna, Amarnagar, Dhamara, KK Pur and Mandari.

The villagers alleged that the toilets lack water supply and proper ventilation. “The toilets lack adequate space for use and do not have ventilation ducts. The toilets were used only for a few days after installation and most of them are lying in an abandoned state now,” said a local, Gouranga Panda.

The residents claimed that the bio-toilets were not user-friendly. While the excreta was not getting flushed out, the water supply was irregular. Later, the doors of the toilets were damaged.

The units were so small that people felt suffocated inside. As foul smell started emanating from the toilets gradually, people stopped using them. Surprisingly, the district administration has turned a blind eye to the issue, they alleged.

Deputy Secretary of Rural Development (RD) Department Subash Chandra Das said the Department was unable to repair the bio-toilets as it did not have technical details.

Though the DWSM and Bhadrak Collector have asked the DRDO authorities to make these toilets operational as well as supply technical details, there has been no response yet.

With the toilets lying defunct, around 1,020 families are forced to go for open defecation. Of those families in four villages except Mandari, who depend on the bio-toilets, only 170 have individual household latrines (IHHLs). Mandari comes under Basudevpur NAC where four bio-toilets were constructed.

Das said the BDOs of Chandabali and Basudevpur and Executive Officer of Basudevpur NAC have been instructed through the Collector to issue work orders for construction of IHHLs in these villages.