<div>The Railway Ministry’s Vigilance Department is conducting an inquiry into the supply of mineral water brands other than its own "Rail Neer" in trains. <br /><br />Vigilance sleuths are digging deep into bills raised by contractors and caterers to ascertain why a huge margin of close to Rs 5 per bottle was allowed for merely lifting the bottles and making them available to passengers. <br /><br />A bottle of Rail Neer was available at about Rs 10 but was sold to customers at Rs 15.<br /><br />The Railway Board (vigilance) instructed Northern Railway, about two months ago, to conduct an expeditious probe as it has found irregularities in bills for supplying Rail Neer, said ministry sources.<br /><br />Sometime in 2015, the railway minister had asked caterers and contractors to sell only IRCTC manufactured Rail Neer on platforms and in trains.<br /><br />The probe, however, comes at a time when the Supreme Court was hearing a petition seeking a nod for supplying other brands of drinking water in trains and has raised doubts on the quality of the Rail Neer.<br /><br />Though the government had informed the court that Rail Neer was safe to drink, petitioners Indian Railway Caterers’ Association had disputed it by saying that the bottled water had failed an earlier test. <br /><br />In a setback to the railways, it allowed the association to sell other brands of mineral water in Mumbai division before the next hearing in July.<br /><br />The premier investigating agency had registered a case last October under the Prevention of Corruption Act and raided premises of then railway officials, M S Chalia and Sandeep Silas, and private vendors RK Associates Pvt Ltd, Satyam Caterers Pvt Ltd, Ambuj Hotel and Real Estate, PK Associates Pvt Ltd, Sunshine Pvt Ltd, Brindavan Food Products and Food World.<br /><br />The ministry has also communicated to the CBI about its decision despite the fact that a chargesheet has been filed against the two officials.</div>
<div>The Railway Ministry’s Vigilance Department is conducting an inquiry into the supply of mineral water brands other than its own "Rail Neer" in trains. <br /><br />Vigilance sleuths are digging deep into bills raised by contractors and caterers to ascertain why a huge margin of close to Rs 5 per bottle was allowed for merely lifting the bottles and making them available to passengers. <br /><br />A bottle of Rail Neer was available at about Rs 10 but was sold to customers at Rs 15.<br /><br />The Railway Board (vigilance) instructed Northern Railway, about two months ago, to conduct an expeditious probe as it has found irregularities in bills for supplying Rail Neer, said ministry sources.<br /><br />Sometime in 2015, the railway minister had asked caterers and contractors to sell only IRCTC manufactured Rail Neer on platforms and in trains.<br /><br />The probe, however, comes at a time when the Supreme Court was hearing a petition seeking a nod for supplying other brands of drinking water in trains and has raised doubts on the quality of the Rail Neer.<br /><br />Though the government had informed the court that Rail Neer was safe to drink, petitioners Indian Railway Caterers’ Association had disputed it by saying that the bottled water had failed an earlier test. <br /><br />In a setback to the railways, it allowed the association to sell other brands of mineral water in Mumbai division before the next hearing in July.<br /><br />The premier investigating agency had registered a case last October under the Prevention of Corruption Act and raided premises of then railway officials, M S Chalia and Sandeep Silas, and private vendors RK Associates Pvt Ltd, Satyam Caterers Pvt Ltd, Ambuj Hotel and Real Estate, PK Associates Pvt Ltd, Sunshine Pvt Ltd, Brindavan Food Products and Food World.<br /><br />The ministry has also communicated to the CBI about its decision despite the fact that a chargesheet has been filed against the two officials.</div>
