Tuesday, May 12, 2015

I become a detective to trace a missing consignment


It was supposed to be a regular movement of consignments from Nashik Road to Lucknow by the Indian Railways. As per practice, the items to be shipped would be suitably packed and dispatched to the railway station for onward movement to Lucknow. Usually, it would reach the consignee within a week.
Of course, there would be delays and uncertainties during the grape season because grapes are perishable and their movements cannot be delayed. Therefore in such cases, delays were inevitable.
However, if there was urgency, the goods would be sent under escort – and the escort would have to liaise with the railway staff and porters to ensure that the aircraft spares got priority.
The system that had been agreed upon between Nashik and the recipients Lucknow and Korwa divisions was that a message indicating dispatch details would be sent once the consignment had left Nashik. And – one day, it suddenly transpired that an important consignment had not been received by Lucknow. The stores personnel of Lucknow had checked with the railway authorities at their end and there was virtually no trace of it.
Therefore I was told to make a trip to Lucknow and locate the missing consignment.
That was the first time I went into the goods store at Lucknow railway station. I had the dispatch details and I first checked the inward goods register maintained by the store clerk. I went through date wise beginning with the date the consignment had left Nashik Road.
I even went through the goods stacked in the racks and piled up in corners.
Then I kept a watch on how goods are taken from the trains and moved into the goods stores.
I was at this exercise for three or four days when suddenly I got an idea – did the consignment go ahead to Gorakhpur, the terminus of the Kushinagar Express, instead of being unloaded at Lucknow? I immediately contacted the Station Master and requested him to check with his counterpart at Gorakhpur.
Fortunately, my guess was correct – the goods were physically at Gorakhpur and the station master promised to move them by the next train.
That was a big load off my chest. (to be continued ..)

A few more must reads -

Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub


More than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped last year by Boko Haram have vanished

Journey to freedom – 5800 migrants rescued from the Mediterranean

Indonesian smugglers stuff yellow-crested cockatoos into plastic bottles to get past customs

Engineering graduate of Hyderabad goes astray, dies because of links with ISIS

Dozens of corpses found in bamboo cages in Thai human trafficking camp

Quick tour of Delhi by ITDC bus


Another interesting blog - Citizen Journalist

Another interesting blog - Violence and atrocities

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