Title - Contractor, coolies overcharging railway passengers

NAGPUR: Jan Akrosh, an NGO fighting for people's rights, met the commercial department officials of Nagpur Central Railway to highlight the corrupt practice of the catering contractor and the coolies.Secretary of Jan Akrosh, Ravindra Kaskhedikar alleged that the catering contractor of Nagpur-Pune Garib Rath is illegally charging Rs2 extra for a cup of tea. "It is not the question of paying Rs2 extra but it calls for the protection of consumer rights," said Kaskhedikar.Kaskhedikar told TOI that a cup of tea that costs Rs5 is supplied for Rs7. As per the official circular, Rs7 is charged for tea bags and not a normal cup of tea. "The catering contractor is not supplying tea bags but continues to charge Rs7," he said.Jan Akrosh office-bearers met assistant commercial manager (ACM) of Nagpur Central Railway, S G Rao and drew his attention towards the menace. Rao has promised to take action against the contractor.Similarly, Jan Akrosh said that the railway officials have failed to monitor the coolies who are registered with the Central Railway. "These coolies at the station never follow the rates prescribed by the administration," said Kaskhedikar.Bhagwan Tewani, who was part of the Jan Akrosh delegation, said that recently, the coolies charged Rs200 to lift a wheelchair and Rs300 to shift a person to the platform. The prescribed rate for a wheelchair is Rs60.

HELPLINE: The ministry of railways (MoR) has set up a central monitoring cell with the toll free number (1800-111-321) for the convenience of railway users to register their complaints regarding catering services like food quality, overcharging etc, both at railway stations and in running trains.

This facility is available on all seven days from 7am to 10pm when during this time generally the food is served to the passengers. As soon as the complaint is registered, all possible actions will be taken on real time basis to address that complaint.