Bharatiya Yatri Kendra brings discrimination to the fore
The passengers of the Nagpur-Mumbai and Nagpur-Howrah Duronto Express are discriminated by the Indian Railway. The passengers are compelled to buy the linen from a private agency. The Railway authorities have been supplying the linen in other trains except for the Duronto Express.
The facility for the passengers in Air Conditioned coaches was stopped during the Corona pandemic, which was a genuine reason and accepted by the travellers. However, after over two years the facility was started again in all trains leaving aside only Duronto Express between Mumbai (CSMT) and Howrah via Nagpur.
The nominal charges were accepted for the linen while booking the ticket. The passengers of Durunto Express, however, are required to buy the same. Although the passengers buying a blanket, a bedsheet, a napkin and a mask are allowed to take the same home, very few do it. A large number of travellers carry very small luggage and avail of the facility of the linen supplied by the Railways. The facility is available to prevent travellers to carry heavy luggage. The linen cannot be washed at home. Either brushing or dry wash is required, as mentioned on its label. The dry wash may require the amount which is equivalent to its cost.
A vast majority of the travellers leave the blankets and bedsheets while alighting, as carrying it becomes difficult. What happens to those blankets and bedsheets, napkins and masks are not known.
The Indian Railways had proposed to supply disposable linen after the Corona had receded. The proposal vanished in thin air and the supply of linen through a private agency cropped up. That too for Duronto Express between Mumbai and Howrah only.
Bharatiya Yatri Kendra Secretary Basant Kumar Shukla has brought this discrimination to the fore. In a letter addressed to the Railway Minister, he has written about the discrimination against the travellers of Duronto Express.
A detailed enquiry into the disposal of the linen left by the passengers has been demanded by some travellers. They have also demanded that the usual practice of linen supply should be restored for Duronto Express.
