HYDERABAD: Indian Railways is continuing to charge money from passengers for disposable bedrolls, even though it is not providing the facility ever since the Covid protocols came into being. The railways charges Rs 25 per bedroll.
In the Winter Session of Parliament last year, railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that bedroll service would be stopped in trains because of Coronavirus, but disposable bedrolls would be provided on payment of separate charge.
For travel in air-conditioned coaches, the cost of the bedroll is included in the fare, but they are not being provided due to the spread of Covid. Before the Covid outbreak, Garib Rath trains used to give an option for travellers, whether to avail bedroll or not.
Though it is not reflected in the AC ticket fare in other trains, it is assumed that the charge is the same for bedrolls.
Until five years ago, the railways used to mention clearly in the train time table that the Rs 25 fee is refundable if the bedrolls are not provided.
Frequent travellers in air conditioned coaches alleged that railways was charging them for the bedroll in the ticket fare but, after the Covid outbreak, had stopped providing them. However, the fare remained the same.
Anthony Tharu, a businessman and a frequent train traveller, said, "Railways is charging for the bedrolls, which they do not provide because of the Covid protocol. This amounts to open cheating of common people. By this, it is generating hundreds of crores. Now the railway is sending an SMS, a few hours before the travel, 'no bedroll is provided, sorry for the inconvenience’.”
This message is not sent for Garib Rath train travellers because these trains have an option of availing the service at the time of booking of the ticket itself, Tharu said.
