‘Breach of Contract’: Probe lingers, locomotives remain idle

The railways ministry has reconstituted a committee investigating a South Korean company for violating some clauses of the contract under which 10 locomotives have been supplied to the Bangladesh Railway.

The changes in the probe committee came more than three months after Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan ordered the formation of the committee, which was supposed to complete the work within 15 working days.

In the meantime, the locomotives have been lying idle at a railways workshop in Chattogram's Pahartoli for around five months, at a time when the BR is struggling to run its operation with a big number of outdated engines.

Moreover, the locomotives are unlikely to be added to the railway fleets until the probe is complete, officials said.

The reconstituted committee was asked to complete the probe within another 15 workings days.

Hyundai Rotem Company (HRC), the company in question, has sent their written reply to the probe committee on January 20. It said it was ready to send officials to clarify its stance, sources said.

At least two members of the previous committee earlier told this correspondent that their probe is being delayed due to the company's delay in giving a reply.

The metre-gauge diesel electric locomotives -- bought under a project worth around Tk 300 crore -- arrived at the workshop after they were unloaded at the Chattogram port in September last year.

Later in its report, a commissioning committee said the technical specifications of three capital components -- alternators, compressors and traction motors -- of the supplied locomotives did not match the specifications mentioned in the agreement, showed railway documents obtained by The Daily Star.

Under such circumstances, the project authorities halted payment for the locomotives.

PROBE SAGA

The railways minister, at a meeting on October 13 over the project, asked to form a committee. But the ministry issued a circular about forming the committee with its Joint Secretary Faizur Rahman Faruqui on November 24 last year.

The committee could not start work till mid-December as it was yet to get one independent member from Buet's mechanical engineering department.

The work of the committee could not progress much as it did not get reply from the Hyundai Rotem Company even after writing several times, citing Christmas and New Year leaves, a probe committee member said. 

In the meantime, Project Director Nur Ahmed Hossain wrote to railways ministry's Secretary Salim Reza asking to reconstitute the committee, excluding Additional Director General (Rolling Stock) Monjur-Ul-Alam Chowdhury as its member.

In the January 12 letter, the PD said Monjur is not only the project coordinator but also controlling officer.

Besides, he and BR's Director General Md Shamsuzzaman have been making moves to clear 65 percent of the remaining payment of the HRC even before the completion of the probe, reads the letter.

Md Shamsuzzaman earlier refuted the allegation. This correspondent could not reach Monjur over phone even after several attempts.

In this given situation, the ministry on January 19 reconstituted the committee excluding two members -- Faizur Rahman Faruqui and Monjur -- of the previous committee.

Md Farukuzzaman, additional secretary (law and land), will lead the committee now, while joint director general (mechanical) of the BR was added to the committee. Buet teacher Muhammed Mahbubur Razzaque will remain its member, according to the circular.

But, JDC (mechanical), as director (mechanical) of the BR, was the convener of a technical sub-committee, which recommended hiring CCIC Singapore Pvt Ltd as the pre-shipment inspector for BR's foreign purchases, sources said.

The CCIC allegedly violated the contract with the BR by not doing a proper pre-shipment inspection for the 10 locomotives. Project Director Nur Ahmed Hossain in November wrote the authorities concerned to take action against it.

Contacted, Prof Mahbubur Razzaque said they have made some progress and came to know that the HRC has sent their reply.

"But no meeting was held after committee was reconstituted," he told The Daily Star yesterday. He, however, said it is possible to complete probe within 15 working days.