Railway Accounts Department Examinations

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Rail Madad - 139

  


Rail Madad - 139 


  •  Madad is an Urdu word that means Help or Assistance. 


  • One Helpline Number 139 for Security and Medical Assistance. ( 138 - travel complaints & 182 - Security complaints are merged into 139) 


  • For Inquiry, Assistance, and Grievance Redressal. 


  • A Mobile App and Web platform 


  • Allows passengers to lodge complaints and get assistance during travel. 


  • Part of the RPGRAMS - Railway Passenger Grievance Redressal And Management System.  

 

  •  Integrated with the NTES - National Train Enquiry System. 

 

  • The app is available on Google Play Store and iOS App Store 

 

  • Track the live status of the complaints   

  

  • Ease of living of Railway Customers (Passengers, Freight & Parcel) in the following ways: 


  1. Single portal for grievance, inquiry, and assistance 

  2. Can give suggestions 

  3. Ease of Access - through 139, Web, App, SMS, Social Media, and Manual Dak 

  4. One Number 139 subsumes 15 helplines 

  5. Basic Phone users (Non-Smart) can call 139 to talk to call centre executives directly 

  6. IVRS - Inter-Active Voice Response facility - available in 15 languages 

  7. Accountability - Every complaint generates a unique CRN - Complaint Reference Number.  One can track using CRN. 

  8. After the closure of the Complaint, the customer gets an SMS with a link to give feedback on the quality of redressal. 

 

 

  • Main Features:  


  1. Train Complaint 

  2. Station Complaint 

  3. Freight Business - FOIS

  4. Parcel Services 

  5. Track Complaint 

  6. Suggestions

  7. Rail Anubhav (Experience)

 

  • Other features:  


  1. Ticket Booking - IRCTC 

  2. Train Enquiry - NTES 

  3. Reservation Enquiry  - PRS

  4. Retiring Room Booking - IRCTC Tourism 

  5. Indian Railways - General Website

  6. UTS Ticketing - Unreserved Ticketing System

****


Tuesday, September 12, 2023

O&M - Organization & Method Unit

 

O&M - Organization & Method Unit

12th September 2023 

What is O & M?

  • Organization and Methods is a Management Science term. 

  • Refers to a Division that devises and manages large-scale administrative procedures. 

  • Review the Organization’s internal structure, procedures, and control systems.  

  • Examines every stage of an Office Procedure, including its purpose, method, forms, documents, time, and people involved.  

  • A valuable component of any Organization

Objectives:  

  1. To improve an Organization’s efficiency and control.  

  2. To bring about a consciousness in the staff. 

  3. To eliminate waste in all activities. 

Govt of India and Ministry of Railways: 

  • A Special Organization formed in the Cabinet Secretariat 

  • AIM: To improve the Administrative efficiency in all Ministries/Departments of the Govt of India 

  • Functions under: Dept of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions. 

  • Ministry of Railways - O&M unit is under the control of the Secretary, Railway Board 


Functions of O&M Unit in Railways:  

  1. Preparation of MOP - Manual of Office Procedure 

  2. Implementation of Administrative Reforms in the Railway Board

  3. Delegation of Powers in the Railway Board

  4. Preparation of the Organisational chart of the Railway Board

  5. Work distribution between the Minister of Railways, Minister of State for Railways, and Railway Board Members. 

  6. Devising new designations for newly created posts 

  7. Redesignations of All Group A & B Officers 

  8. Monitoring the emoluments and payment of OT - Overtime Allowance 

  9. Liaisoning with the other Ministries/Depts. On O&M-related issues. 

  10. Monthly summary of imp. Events - DO letter from CRB to the Cabinet Secretary, Principal Secretary to PM.  

  11. Notification & application of 1. Allocation of Business Rules, 1961 and 2. Transaction of Business Rules, 1961 (as published by the Cabinet Secretariat) 

  12. Rationalization of structures and procedures suo moto or on request from different branches and clarifications on Office Procedure

  13. Level jumping/channels of submission of cases and their level of disposal. 

  14. Various aspects relating to the Records Management 

  15. Revision of Record retention schedules  

  16. Punctuality in the Railway Board and inspections thereof 

  17. Modernization of Offices 

  18. Vetting of requirement of expensive stationery items like Fax machines etc. 

  19. Economy in expenditure

  20. Awards Functions and Nominations 

  21. Efficiency Shields

  22. Inspections 

  23. Workstudy

        

*****

 


Monday, September 11, 2023

Error Sheets - Accounts Office Debits & their clearance

 


Traffic Accounts - Accounts Office Debits & their clearance 

                28th Chapter of Accounts Code Vol. 2 



Source: Accounts Code Volume 2 


Error Sheets:  


  • Debits raised by the Accounts Office 

  • When a mistake involving apparent loss to Railways    

  • As a result of an Internal check of Traffic documents and returns rendered by Stations 

  • Through an Error Sheet (Form No. A.2802)  

  • Full particulars of the transaction along with reasons for the Debit

  • In 3 copies (1st copy - Accounts, 2nd and 3rd copy - the concerned Station) 

  • In 4 copies (if a separate Outstanding branch of the Commercial Dept is there)  

  • Computerized environment - sent through FOIS/TAMS Errorsheet module  

  • Manual ones - Signed by SSO(A) or as may be decided by the FA&CAO(T).   

  • In FOIS/TAMS - Validation is done by the system itself. Hence signature not required. 


Exceptions: 


  1. Undercharges up to the limit minimum limit - individual items of Coaching and Goods Revenue  (The rationale is the principle of Materiality Concept) 

  2. Time-barred claims  - 6 months 

  3. If any document is not susceptible of check for want of any information from the station staff or traffic dept.  

  4. An undercharge coming to the notice after the expiry of the time limit i.e., 6 months due to the negligence of the Accounts Office (in such case suitable action should be taken against the Accounts staff at fault)

 





Errorsheets - Personal check of Accounts Officer before issue  


  • Rs.50 to Rs.100  - 10% check

  • Rs.100 and above - 100% check  

  • Any doubt about the correctness of the charge, the Accounts Officer should consult the Traffic Dept officer. In case of dispute between the two, the matter referred to the Dy.CCM or CCM for final decision. 


Register of Error Sheets:  


  • Before issue, all Error Sheets entered in the Register 

  • Form No. A 2808 

  • If necessary, more than one register should be maintained with a suitable code letter prefixed before the number to distinguish it from the other.  

  • Computerized environment - automatic entries 


Admitted Debits: 


  • Takes into the Station Accounts (on the Debit side) by the Station Master

  • Fill in the name and designation of the responsible person in the Error sheet. 

  • Inform when should be paid or deducted from the salary of the person responsible. 


Disputed Debits 

 

  • The grounds of objection are fully and clearly stated on the Error sheet. 

  • Returned to the Accounts Office and the Outstanding branch of Commercial Dept (if existed)    










Clearance of Debits / Error Sheets:  


By deduction in the Salary bill of the concerned staff (if admitted)



By the Outstanding Branch of the Commercial Dept.


  • Acts as a liaison between the Station staff and the Accounts Office 

  • After scrutinizing the error sheets, if a Debit is to be withdrawn, the same is advised to the Accounts Office  



  • Sometimes, in extenuating circumstances, the whole or a part thereof is written off by a duly authorized Commercial Officer, the Accounts Officer being advised  


Through Overcharge Sheets: 


  • Where Error Sheets are adjusted through Overcharge Sheets, the Debits need not be withdrawn. 

  • The station should take the same Credit in the Station Balance Sheet on the authority of the Overcharge Sheet.  

  • Certified by the Station against whom the debit does not lie or by the competent Commercial Officer 


By Written off: 


  • Either part or full amount in Error Sheets is written off by the authorized Commercial Officers. 

  • The sanction to the write-off should be checked in the same way as other sanctions. 









CAN - Credit Advice Note:  


  • If the disputed debit is found incorrect, the same is withdrawn through CAN 

  • Form No. A-2811 

  • Basis for taking as Special Credit in the Station Balance sheet 

  • Issued only for such Error Sheets as have been taken into account by the station and are outstanding the same.  

  • Reference to CAN - should be made against the connected entry in the Register of Error Sheets 

  • Computerized environment  - CAN be generated online through the system (FOIS/TAMS) 


Keypoints for MCQ:


  1. Error Sheet - 3 copies (1st - Accounts Office, 2nd & 3rd - Station) 

  2. Error Sheet - 4 copies (If a separate Outstanding branch exists in the Commercial Dept) 

  3. FOIS stands for Freight Operations Information System

  4. TAMS stands for Traffic Accounts Management System 

  5. CAN stands for Credit Advice Note 

  6. Time-barred claims - 6 Months 

  7.  Personal check of Accounts Officer on Errorsheets 

  • Rs.50 to Rs.100 - 10% check 

  • Rs.100 and above - 100% check 

  1. The Outstanding branch in the Commercial Dept acts as a liaison between the Station staff and the Accounts Office 


*****


Sunday, September 10, 2023

Inter-Ministerial Consultations

 


An illustrative list of cases where inter-ministerial consultations are required ‘’


SN

Matters

Ministry/Agency to be consulted

1

Financial Matters

Ministry of Finance

2

Personnel Matters

Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions

3

Proposals concerning Legislation, Making Rules and Orders, and Contract matters

Ministry of Law & Justice

4

Matters affecting external relations include: Agreements and treaties with the Foreign countries

Ministry of External Affairs

5

Proposals concerning North East Region

Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region

6

Economic Matters

NITI Aayog - National Institution of Transforming India 


Source: MOP - Manual of Office Procedure 2022 6th Edition