Rlys to wash its dirty linen...
...at its own laundry unit that is likely to come up at either Sabarmati or Asarwa; land, electricity and water supply to be given by railways, unit to be run by private firm
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, October 13, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=20091013200910130225386262702662)
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A stained reputation following complaints about unwashed bed linen being provided in the AC coaches has the Railways finally pulling up its socks. The Ahmedabad Railway Division is planning to set up a laundry unit to wash blankets, cushion covers, bedsheets, napkins and curtains in the city.
Sources in the Ahmedabad railway division say bedsheets distributed in air-conditioned train coaches are not washed properly.
They also say that blankets are discarded five years after their date of purchase. Everytime these are sent to the laundry units for washing, these come back neatly pressed and packed but unwashed, they say. This despite the railways spending nearly Rs 5 crore every year.
To be set up in a public-private partnership, the new laundry unit is likely to come up either in Asarwa or Sabarmati, say sources. The railways will provide land, power supply and water connection to the private firm.
Earlier, they had even thought of introducing a disposable, ecofriendly kit to ensure hygiene and eliminate the risk of passengers catching allergies. The disposable bed sheets, pillow covers and blanket were to be made of polypropylene non-woven fabric. But the idea was never implemented.
“The decision by the railways to set up a laundry unit was taken following a rise in number of passenger complaints in the past six months,” a source said. In July, Divisional Railway Manager Ashok Garud, senior DCM Uday Shankar Jha and other railway officers did a surprise check on the contractor who is in charge of the cleaning of railway linen.
The visit turned out to be an eye-opener — there was no one to supervise the cleaning, the floors were dirty and no effort was being made to clean the stained sheets properly, sources said. The officers warned the contractor that his contract would be cancelled if he did not get his act together. After that an officer was posted at the laundry unit for supervision. “But that did not ensure proper cleaning. Warnings never made a difference to the contractor,” the source said.
Garud told Mirror: “The general manager has permitted setting up of the unit. It is likely to come up either in Sabarmati or Asarwa. Railways will provide land, water and electricity to the firm. This will not only help us cut down on cost, but also ensure quality.”
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, October 13, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=20091013200910130225386262702662)
A stained reputation following complaints about unwashed bed linen being provided in the AC coaches has the Railways finally pulling up its socks. The Ahmedabad Railway Division is planning to set up a laundry unit to wash blankets, cushion covers, bedsheets, napkins and curtains in the city.They also say that blankets are discarded five years after their date of purchase. Everytime these are sent to the laundry units for washing, these come back neatly pressed and packed but unwashed, they say. This despite the railways spending nearly Rs 5 crore every year.
To be set up in a public-private partnership, the new laundry unit is likely to come up either in Asarwa or Sabarmati, say sources. The railways will provide land, power supply and water connection to the private firm.
Earlier, they had even thought of introducing a disposable, ecofriendly kit to ensure hygiene and eliminate the risk of passengers catching allergies. The disposable bed sheets, pillow covers and blanket were to be made of polypropylene non-woven fabric. But the idea was never implemented.
“The decision by the railways to set up a laundry unit was taken following a rise in number of passenger complaints in the past six months,” a source said. In July, Divisional Railway Manager Ashok Garud, senior DCM Uday Shankar Jha and other railway officers did a surprise check on the contractor who is in charge of the cleaning of railway linen.
The visit turned out to be an eye-opener — there was no one to supervise the cleaning, the floors were dirty and no effort was being made to clean the stained sheets properly, sources said. The officers warned the contractor that his contract would be cancelled if he did not get his act together. After that an officer was posted at the laundry unit for supervision. “But that did not ensure proper cleaning. Warnings never made a difference to the contractor,” the source said.
Garud told Mirror: “The general manager has permitted setting up of the unit. It is likely to come up either in Sabarmati or Asarwa. Railways will provide land, water and electricity to the firm. This will not only help us cut down on cost, but also ensure quality.”
