Central Railway Chief PRO Transferred After Disclosing PM Modi Selfie Booth Costs

Shivraj Manaspure, the Chief Public Relations Officer of Central Railway, was unexpectedly transferred from his role prior to completing his two-year term. This move came following his disclosure of information in response to a Right to Information (RTI) request concerning the actual expenses incurred in setting up 3D selfie booths and locations featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi at railway stations.

These selfie booths were established across various stations by the Indian Railways. Social activist Ajay Bose had submitted an RTI application to five railway zones-Central, Western, Southern, Northern, and North West Railways-to obtain details about the expenditure on these PM selfie points, as reported by TOI.

Shivraj Manaspure, an IRTS officer from the 2011 batch, assumed the position of Chief Public Relations Officer for Central Railway in May. However, on December 29, he was transferred by the CR's Mumbai headquarters, without specific reasons for the move being disclosed.

Swapnil D Nila has taken over as the new CRPO officer, yet Manaspure remains uninformed about his next assignment, according to TOI.

Railway sources praised Manaspure for his achievements in improving revenue, addressing ticketless travel, and reducing theft during his tenure as the senior divisional commercial manager at Bhusawal division. He was also recognized and awarded during the 68th Railway Week Central Function in Delhi on December 15, 2023, receiving accolades from Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for exemplary practices among railway employees.

In a notable turn of events, the Railway Board issued an advisory on December 28-prior to Manaspure's transfer-directing caution in handling RTI requests and expressing concern about declining standards in handling these applications across various railway zones and units.

Ajay Bose's queries received responses from multiple railway divisions in December, but only Central Railway provided information regarding the number of 3D booths, not the installation costs. The data received mentioned 187 booths, with 100 located within the Hindi belt of Northern Railway.

Central Railway's information indicated the setup of temporary selfie booths at 30 stations and permanent ones at 20 stations across five divisions-Nagpur, Mumbai, Pune, Bhusawal, and Solapur. The temporary booths at Category A stations cost Rs 1.25 lakh each, while the permanent booths at Category C stations cost Rs 6.25 lakh each (exclusive of taxes), approved by the Central Bureau of Communication.

Bose highlighted that the information from Central Railway was provided by Deputy General Manager (PIO-HQ) Abhay Mishra, noting Manaspure's removal from his position. Meanwhile, Swapnil D Nila linked Manaspure's transfer directly to the RTI response. Senior railway officials refrained from commenting, labeling the transfer as a decision made at a higher level.