Unified Goods Theory Chapter 15 - Traffic Accounts PDF

CHAPTER 15:- TRAFFIC ACCOUNTS _________________________________________________________________ Goods Traffic:–The consignment received at the Railway Station (Good Shed) which is transported by goods trains are known as goods traffic. The initial vouchers for goods traffic is Invoice (Railway recei...

CHAPTER 15:- TRAFFIC ACCOUNTS _________________________________________________________________ Goods Traffic:–The consignment received at the Railway Station (Good Shed) which is transported by goods trains are known as goods traffic. The initial vouchers for goods traffic is Invoice (Railway receipt). Goods traffic is divided into two parts. 1. Inward Traffic:- a. Inward Paid traffic i. Local ii. Foreign b. Inward To-pay traffic i. Local ii. Foreign 2. Outward Traffic:- a. Outward Paid traffic i. Local ii. Foreign b. Outward To-pay traffic i. Local ii. Foreign Separate invoice books are used for each type of traffic. Serial number is printed on invoice book with the help of machine. In local traffic, there are four foils and five foils for foreign traffic, which are issued as under. Local Traffic Foreign Traffic 1. Station Record 1 Station Record 2. Railway receipt 2 Railway receipt 3. Accounts Office 3 Accounts Office 4. Destination station copy 4 Destination station copy 5 Transit Invoice. 153  First copy of the invoice is retained at station; second copy is handed over to the consignor, which will be sent to consignee on the basis of which delivery will be obtained. Third copy will be sent to Accounts office on scheduled date. Fourth copy will be sent to destination station and In case of foreign traffic fifth copy is handed over to guard along with the consignment. Goods Cash Book:- This is an important book maintained at station. Cash book is maintained separately for Local & Foreign goods traffic. In this book invoice for paid goods traffic are entered serially. In this book RR & Invoice number, Destination station, Class and Description of goods, Paid freight etc. detailed are written. Cancelled invoice are entered clearly marking them as cancelled. In addition all other Goods earnings such as Wagon Registration Fees (WRF) is also entered in this book. At the end of the day cash book is totaled up on the basis of which cash available at station is checked and disposed off. Disposal of A/C‖s Copy of Invoice:– Accounts copies of invoice are sent to A/c’s office on nominated dates through courier. Separate bundle are prepared for Outward paid – Local & Foreign, Outward To-pay – Local & foreign traffic. A list of invoice included in bundle is prepared in triplicate. One copy is retained at station and two copy are sent to A/c’s office along with invoices, out of which one copy is returned back to station as acknowledgement. Goods Delivery Book:– On receipt of Invoice copies at station, their entry is done date wise in this book. Prior to entry these invoice copies are subject to 100% check and entry of undercharges / overcharges detected if any are mentioned in the prescribed columns on the invoice. This book is maintained separately for Local & Foreign traffic with columns as under. 1) RR No. 2) Invoice no. 3) Forwarding station 4) Class of commodity 5) Date and Time of receipt of consignment 6) Description of consignment 7) Paid freight 154 8) To pay freight 9) Undercharges 10) Overcharges 11) Wharf age and Demurrage charges 12) Date and Time of delivery 13) Signature of party, etc. Machine prepared Abstract:– All invoices received in accounts office are subjected to 100% check, discrepancies noticed are recorded on the invoices, and stations are intimated accordingly. An abstract is prepared on the basis of these invoices, which is known as Machine Prepared Abstract (MPA). MPA indicates total inward traffic booked for any destination station. The MPA is compared with delivery book to ensure accountal of all invoices issued against a particular station. Comparison is made talking delivery book as the base. Missing entries are made in delivery book as well as MPA. Entries made in delivery book on basis of MPA are known as ‘Forced Entries’ where as entries made in MPA on the basis on delivery book are known as ‘Inked Entries’. After completion of comparison, the MPA is known as ‘’Converted Abstract’’ After comparison the columns for inward to pay, undercharges wharfage / demurrage are totaled up on the basis on which debit are entered in balance sheet. One copy of converted abstract is sent to account office along with the balance sheet. In addition, four annexures are sent along with the balance sheet which are as under. 1. ‘A’ Total Earnings from inward paid & to pay traffic, Zonal Railway Wise 2. ‘B’ Description of Inked entries. 3. ‘C’ Discrepancies’ in accountal 4. ‘D’ Double accounts entries Station outstanding & its clearances:- Difference between debit & credit side of the balance sheet prior to balancing the same is termed as Station outstanding. In other wards the un-discharged or unclear liabilities at the end of month appearing on the credit side of the balance sheet, under the head of closing balance are termed as station outstanding. Following items are known as station outstanding and are cleared in the following month as follows – 155 1. Imprest / Floting Cash - Imprest cash is provided at station so as to fulfil the requirement of change / coins during booking. Since the requirement will always exist this items cannot be cleared and will continue to remain outstanding at the end of the month. 2. Cashiers Debit – Cash collected at station is remitted to Chief cashier every day through Cash Remittance note. Credit is taken in balance sheet on the basis of acknowledgement copy of Cash remittance Note. Difference between the station copy and acknowledgement copy is taken as cashier’s debit in the next month when acknowledgement is received late and credit in balance sheet is taken on the basis of station copy of CR Note. It is mandatory to clear this debit within 3 days. This can be cleared only by remittance of amount in cash. Credit will be taken in part –I on credit side. 3. Account Office Debit / Error sheet – On scrutiny of initial vouchers/ documents and returns in accounts office, debit are raised against station for financial loss sustained by the railway administration through error sheet. If debits are acceptable to station, same are known as Admitted Debits and can be cleared by recovery in lump sum from the responsible employee and credit is taken in Part – I i.e. cash. If the employee chooses to recover the amount through his pay sheet, credit is taken in part-II of the balance sheet under special credit i.e. deduction list. In the case of transfer of the responsible employee, the outstanding can be cleared for the original station by way of transfer debit to other station under Part–II. In case the debit is disputed by the station and is under correspondence with accounts office the same is known as NOT ADMITTED DEBIT. These can be cleared on issue of credit advice note by accounts office on acceptance of clarification/ justification given by station in support of amount collected by the station. This items can also be cleared technically on transfer of the item to ‘’admitted debit’’ on acceptance of the objection raised by accounts office. 156 4. Inward To-Pay Freight - The consignments undelivered at the end of the month are delivered in the next month and clearance is achieved by remittance of cash collected at the time of delivery. If the consignee does not come forward for taking delivery even after he is served a notice, and delivery is not taken within the stipulated period the consignment is handed over to lost property office with competent authority’s sanction, credit is taken in balance sheet under this head. If application is given by the consignee for rebooking of the consignment to new destination station, outstanding against the station is included in the amount to be recovered at new destination station and credit is taken in balance sheet under the head “paid-on-to-pay”. If overcharge is noticed during the check of invoice, correct freight will be recovered and over charge will be treated as refunded. Credit for the amount will be taken in balance sheet under the head “refund list”. In case the consignment is delivered at any other station other than destination or if the consignment is lost or entirely damaged or taken back at forwarding station itself, the amount outstanding against the consignment will be cleared and special credit will be taken under the head certified over charge sheet. This sheet will be issued by the station affecting delivery in 1 st case, by CCO in 2nd and 3rd case and by forwarding station in 4th case. In case of double accountal of invoice, credit will be taken on the basis of double accountal statement prepared by the station. 5. Wharfage / Demurrage - On production of RR at station by the consignee, the consignment is delivered after recovering wharfage / demurrage if due. The amount so recovered is entered in relevant column of delivery book. At the end of the month wharfage / demurrage due on undelivered consignments is also entered in delivery book, the same is totaled up and debit is taken in balance sheet. The outstanding is cleared in the next month by recovering the same at the time of delivery. Credit is taken in balance sheet under the head cash. In case application is made by the consignee for re- booking of the consignment, the amount due will be included in the new invoice i.e. to be recovered by new destination station and credit will be taken in balance sheet under the head ‘Paid-On-To-Pay charges’. 157  In case consignee has applied for waival of wharfage / demurrage and if accepted, remission order will be issued by the competent commercial authority on the basis of which credit will be taken in balance sheet under the head ‘Remission Order’. If the consignee does not turn up for taking delivery after specified time and intimation, the consignment will be transferred to lost property office after obtaining competent authority’s sanction. Credit will be taken in balance sheet under the head ‘Transfer to lost property office’. 6. Cost of Government Publication - On demand the government publications such as time tables, indemnity bonds are supplied to station by supply officer. Debit towards the cost of the same is taken in Balance Sheet. On sale of the same credit will be taken in balance sheet under head ‘Cash’. Cost of unsold publications will appear as outstanding. This can be cleared on actual sale. Out-dated publications will be returned to Supply Officer and credit will be taken in Part – II of Balance Sheet under the head ‘Return to Supply Officer’. Overcharges / Undercharges and their disposal: – On receipt of Invoices at stations, they are subjected to 100 % check and entries are made in delivery book. If it is found that the charges levied by the originating station are more as compared to rate list, the additional amount charged is known as overcharges, and if the charges levied are less, they are known as undercharges. Both are recorded in relevant columns of delivery book and invoice. The undercharges are recovered at the time of delivery and entered in the relevant columns of delivery book. Debit for the same is taken along with debit for the services, such as inward to- pay freight, inward paid freight etc. Overcharges are refunded by / in the following manner:- 1. By station - If the overcharges are detected on inward to-pay freight, correct freight will be recovered at the time of delivery and overcharges will be treated as refunded. Refund List will be prepared at the end of month; credit will be taken in the Balance Sheet. 2. By Claims Office - If the overcharges are detected on inward paid freight refund cannot be granted at the station. Refund will be arranged by claims office, if application is received within six months from the date of payment of 158  fare / freight or date of delivery at destination whichever is later. Application received by Claims Office will be sent to Traffic Accounts Office. After verification refund order will be prepared by Accounts Office and sent to the applicant through Claims Office. On production of refund order, payment will be made by the station. Refund order will be accounted for as cash voucher in Part- IV of DTC. 3. By Accounts Office - Overcharges detected during initial checks are refunded to the party. Refund orders are prepared by Accounts Office and sent to party through Claims Office. These refunds are known as Voluntary Refunds. Goods Balance Sheet – Station Balance Sheet is a monthly return prepared in prescribed proforma for submission to traffic accounts office. This is divided into two parts - left side is known as ‘Debit side’ and right side is known as ‘Credit side’. Balance sheet can also be termed as personal account of the Station Master. Debit side indicates the responsibility of Station Master under the heads Opening balance, Current debits and Special debits. Responsibilities are entered separately for each type of transaction. The Credit side indicates the discharge of liability of the station under the head Cash, cash vouchers and special credits. Special credit means credit taken on the basis of Credit Advice note, Remission Order etc. In addition the closing balance is also indicated on the credit side, which indicates the uncleared liability of the station at the end of the month. The closing balance is also termed as Station Outstanding. The debit and the Credit side are totaled up, which should be equal. Balance Sheet prepared for Goods Traffic is known as Goods balance Sheet. This is to be prepared on 3rd of the following month and submitted to traffic Accounts Office on or before 5th of the following month. 159 Name of the Station ------- Month &Year -------- Description Amt Description Amt Opening Balance Cash and Cash Vouchers 1. Floating cash/Imprest 1. 2. Cashiers’ debit 2. 3. A/C Office Debits/Error Sheet 3……. a. Admitted debit b. Non Admitted debit 4. Inward To Pay freight 5. Wharfage /Demurrage 6. Cost of Govt. publications Current Debits 1. Outward Paid Traffic (Local) Special Credits 2. Outward Paid Traffic 1. Credit Advice Note (Foreign) 2. Refund List 3. Inward To Pay Traffic (Local) 3. Deduction List 4. Inward To Pay Traffic 4. Remission Order (Foreign) 5. Transfers to other stations 5. Wharfage /Demurrage 6. Certified Over Charge 6. Undercharges sheet 7. Coal and Livestock 7. Paid On to Pay 8. Siding Charges 8. Transferred to LPO 9. Crane Charges 9. Double accounted 10. Wagon Registration Fee Invoices Special Debits Closing Balance 1. Cashiers debit 1. Floating cash / Imprest 2. A/C Office Debits / Error 2. Cashiers’ Debit Sheets 3. A/C Office Debits / Error a. Admitted debit Sheet b. Non Admitted debit a. Admitted debit 3. Cost of Govt. publications b. Non Admitted debit 4. Transfer from other stations 4. Inward To Pay freight 5. Sundry & Miscellaneous 5. Wharfage /Demurrage earnings 6. Cost of Govt. publications Total Total 160 Goods Returns A) Daily 1. Cash Remittance note B) Periodical 1. List of invoices 2. Advance statement of Gross traffic receipts and traffic handled. C) Monthly 1. Wharfage / Demurrage charges return 2. List of error sheet 3. List of certified overcharge sheet 4. Refund list 5. List of credit advice notes 6. List of Remission Order 7. Converted Abstract showing Local/Foreign, Coal, Government traffic, Railway Material consignments along with Annexures - A to D 8. Return for Siding charges 9. Return for Crane charges 10. Return showing the deposit & refund of wagon registration fees. 11. List of double accounted invoices 12. List of outstanding items 13. Balance sheet along with relevant returns and annexures. 161