Title - CAG raps Railways over lack of cleanliness, Passengers’ dissatisfaction

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has slammed Railways for not effectively implementing Railway Board’s guidelines for mechanised cleaning of major stations and not taking effective pest control measures in coaches.

Besides, the audit body has observed that Railways has failed to provide good quality of linen to passengers which has resulted in increased passenger dissatisfaction.

“There was lack of synchronisation between guidelines of Railway Ministry on maintenance of cleanliness and availability of infrastructure in the field for their implementation,” the CAG report, tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, said.

CAG team inspected 123 major stations over 17 zones and found mechanised cleaning was adopted only at 65 stations.

Despite assurance rendered to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), detailed action plan for monitoring cleanliness and sanitation at stations and on trains was not formulated at the zonal level, it noted.

The report observed that mechanised cleaning could not be effectively implemented at major stations due to inadequate provision of washable aprons or damaged and uneven surfaces. “The availability of infrastructure in the field for improving the standard of cleanliness was not commensurate with the policies and guidelines laid down in this regard,” it stated.

The CAG team in a joint inspection of 88 trains over 17 zones with railway officials found cockroaches in AC and non AC coaches of selected trains in six zones.

In its survey of 212 stations for food adulteration, CAG found testing of samples as per the Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act was not done in 41 stations. Even in major stations like Howrah and Sealdah, shortage in sampling of food under quality control check was noticed.

CAG also found absence of adequate number of toilets and filthy condition of existing toilets through the issue was highlighted in the previous audit report.