Passengers wash dirty linen in open
Travellers of Duronto make a hue and cry over supply of unclean, unironed bedsheets and pillows; train stopped thrice as passengers, attendants fight; rlys orders inquiry
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, January 17, 2012 (http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOINEW/navigator.asp?Daily=AMIR&showST=true&login=default&pub=MM&AW=1326900408469)
Anon-stop train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai became a moving spectacle after passengers clashed with attendants over dirty linen.
The incident happened on the Duronto train that left Ahmedabad railway station on Sunday night. Duronto runs thrice-a-week (on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday). It leaves the city at 11.45 pm and reaches Mumbai at 6.15 am. According to a passenger, by the time the train reached Nadiad, people started making their beds. As the attendants started distributing the bedsheets, the pillows and covers, napkins and water bottles, the murmurs of discontent began. Soon the noises became loud and clear as more and more people started complaining about the wet, unclean and unironed bedsheets.
The tension had clearly picked up momentum soon after the train passed Vadodara station. The verbal fight turned intense when someone pulled the chain and the train came to an abrupt halt. After abuses flew thick and fast, the Railway Protection Force had to intervene and the train restarted.
However, things worsened as the train neared Bharuch station, when attendants alleged some passengers had thrown linen out of the train. This resulted in another stoppage.
At this point, the attendants set out to lodge a complaint alleging the passengers threatened to throw them out of the moving train.
The passengers countered by stating that the attendants misbehaved with the female passengers. After the Government Railway Police brought about a compromise, the train again chugged off.
The third chain-pulling happened at Surat, where all the attendants, numbering eight, left the train.
PASSENGER WOES
Swati Soni, one of the passengers who lives near VT in Mumbai, said, “The bedsheets were stinking and wet, pillows were without covers, while napkins were not provided. Even the water bottles were of local make.”
Soni complained that of the 64 passengers in her compartment, only 20 were provided with napkins. “The attendants also misbehaved,” she said.
Vishang Deri, another resident of Mumbai, was equally vociferous in his complaint, “The pillow was without a cover and it stinked like hell, making it impossible to sleep on it. The water bottle also did not have the ISI mark.”
Deri was dead sure the attendants had pulled the chain at Bharuch and Surat to stop the train.
Amid the allegations and counter allegations, Divisional Railway Manager Rakesh Bahel assured Mirror, “We’ve intitiated a probe into the entire incident. The contractor has given us his version. He said the bedsheets were not dirty, but passengers had soiled it themselves and the water provided has been recognised by Western Railway.”
The attendants also told the DRM that some passengers had threatened to throw them from the moving train, hence they alighted at Surat station.
Additional Divisonal Railway Manager Yagnik has been entrusted with the responsibility of probing the incident.
Regarding the wet sheets, Bahel said, “Mechanised cleaning is used for the bedsheets, which automatically washes, irons and folds the sheets. However, when the numbers are large, they are ironed manually. Since the laundry person sprinkles water on the clothes, the moisture is retained due to the cold weather.”
DEFENCE VERSION
In his defence, Bhupeshbhai, owner of Cap-a-Pie laundry, which cleans the railway linen, said, “We changed some bedsheets that were dirty. However, some passengers who were drunk created a ruckus.”
When asked if they don’t check the dirty laundry, he said, “Since it is festival season, some linen might not have been checked.”
According to a top official in Western Railway, “Responsibility will fixed at the official level and strict action will be taken against those found guilty.”
Railway officials admit that despite having hired 12 to 15 officers and supervisors to check the quality and supply of linen in all AC coaches in long-distance trains, the problem prevails.
Under the Right To Information (RTI), Mirror had found that in 2010-11 railways had received 261 complaints of dirty linen being supplied to passengers; 279 complaints were registered in 2009-10. Railways had imposed a penalty of around Rs 30 lakh on the contractor who was supplying the linen.
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, January 17, 2012 (http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOINEW/navigator.asp?Daily=AMIR&showST=true&login=default&pub=MM&AW=1326900408469)
Anon-stop train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai became a moving spectacle after passengers clashed with attendants over dirty linen.
The incident happened on the Duronto train that left Ahmedabad railway station on Sunday night. Duronto runs thrice-a-week (on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday). It leaves the city at 11.45 pm and reaches Mumbai at 6.15 am. According to a passenger, by the time the train reached Nadiad, people started making their beds. As the attendants started distributing the bedsheets, the pillows and covers, napkins and water bottles, the murmurs of discontent began. Soon the noises became loud and clear as more and more people started complaining about the wet, unclean and unironed bedsheets.
The tension had clearly picked up momentum soon after the train passed Vadodara station. The verbal fight turned intense when someone pulled the chain and the train came to an abrupt halt. After abuses flew thick and fast, the Railway Protection Force had to intervene and the train restarted.
However, things worsened as the train neared Bharuch station, when attendants alleged some passengers had thrown linen out of the train. This resulted in another stoppage.
At this point, the attendants set out to lodge a complaint alleging the passengers threatened to throw them out of the moving train.
The passengers countered by stating that the attendants misbehaved with the female passengers. After the Government Railway Police brought about a compromise, the train again chugged off.
The third chain-pulling happened at Surat, where all the attendants, numbering eight, left the train.
PASSENGER WOES
Swati Soni, one of the passengers who lives near VT in Mumbai, said, “The bedsheets were stinking and wet, pillows were without covers, while napkins were not provided. Even the water bottles were of local make.”
Soni complained that of the 64 passengers in her compartment, only 20 were provided with napkins. “The attendants also misbehaved,” she said.
Vishang Deri, another resident of Mumbai, was equally vociferous in his complaint, “The pillow was without a cover and it stinked like hell, making it impossible to sleep on it. The water bottle also did not have the ISI mark.”
Deri was dead sure the attendants had pulled the chain at Bharuch and Surat to stop the train.
Amid the allegations and counter allegations, Divisional Railway Manager Rakesh Bahel assured Mirror, “We’ve intitiated a probe into the entire incident. The contractor has given us his version. He said the bedsheets were not dirty, but passengers had soiled it themselves and the water provided has been recognised by Western Railway.”
The attendants also told the DRM that some passengers had threatened to throw them from the moving train, hence they alighted at Surat station.
Additional Divisonal Railway Manager Yagnik has been entrusted with the responsibility of probing the incident.
Regarding the wet sheets, Bahel said, “Mechanised cleaning is used for the bedsheets, which automatically washes, irons and folds the sheets. However, when the numbers are large, they are ironed manually. Since the laundry person sprinkles water on the clothes, the moisture is retained due to the cold weather.”
DEFENCE VERSION
In his defence, Bhupeshbhai, owner of Cap-a-Pie laundry, which cleans the railway linen, said, “We changed some bedsheets that were dirty. However, some passengers who were drunk created a ruckus.”
When asked if they don’t check the dirty laundry, he said, “Since it is festival season, some linen might not have been checked.”
According to a top official in Western Railway, “Responsibility will fixed at the official level and strict action will be taken against those found guilty.”
Railway officials admit that despite having hired 12 to 15 officers and supervisors to check the quality and supply of linen in all AC coaches in long-distance trains, the problem prevails.
Under the Right To Information (RTI), Mirror had found that in 2010-11 railways had received 261 complaints of dirty linen being supplied to passengers; 279 complaints were registered in 2009-10. Railways had imposed a penalty of around Rs 30 lakh on the contractor who was supplying the linen.
