Ticketing inspector dismissed for tampering muster

In his order issued on December 15, senior divisional commercial manager B Ravichander has held Kuberan guilty of tampering with the muster roll, which, he described was a “serious offence” that could not be treated lightly describing the act as a violation of rule 3 (I), (II) and (III)of Railway Service (conduct) rules 1966. 

Instructing him to return all railway materials, including his identity card, and vacate the railway quarters, if any were occupied by him, the order also cautioned the chief ticketing inspector that he would be treated as trespasser if he continued to occupy the quarters. The case of Kuberan, who has the right to appeal in 45 days from the date of dismissal, should serve as a stern warning to derelict employees. 

Officials have been tracking ‘absentee’ staff, particularly the one’s in squads in which the seniors were ‘caught’ claiming monthly travel allowances running in to several thousands of rupees despite absenting from work for days and sometimes even engaging proxies to cover up their absence. Earlier, DTNext had reported extensively about similar muster tampering at the transshipment office in Chennai Central, which resulted in SR summarily shutting down the office there. 

Employees at the transshipment office were shunted out to far places following the expose which threw light on railway staff there absenting themselves from work for days together and conveniently revising the muster markings by colluding with the supervisors. It also came to light that a few staff had continued to work at the Salt Cotaurs office even over a year after the officials ordered the termination of operations there.