Court asks railways to explain corruption charges : India

New Delhi, July 11 - The Delhi High Court has issued notice to the railway ministry on a petition by social organisations alleging that certain officials of both the railways and Gujarat Electricity Board (CEB) had waived demurrage charges of more than Rs.300 million in recent years. Justice B.D. Ahmed asked the railway ministry Tuesday to file its reply on the complaint by July 18. Peoples Vigilance Committee for Human Rights (PVCHR) and Centre for Human Rights Initiative (CHITRA) had filed the petition seeking direction to the railway ministry to maintain status quo on all the cases of waiver till the disposal of the case. 'There was a huge scam going on in the garb of waiving demurrage charges involving top railway officials. The racket is going on in the railways for the past several years at the behest of certain top officials, as they are the beneficiaries.' The issue of the organised corruption has been raised based on the CAG report coupled with the Lok Sabha questionnaire, said the petitioners. Demurrage is a charge levied and recovered to compensate loss caused to the railways due to extra time taken by the companies in loading and unloading of goods resulting in detention to wagons in several places.