BENGALURU: A city-based consumer forum has asked Indian Railways to compensate a senior citizen, due to the physical and mental suffering he endured, as there were unreserved passengers crowding the compartment who blocked his way to the bathroom to urinate. He even complained that the toilets were extremely dirty, while he was traveling to Kozhikode, in Kerala, from Vijayawada.
“The South Central Railway and South Western Railway are jointly and severally liable to pay a compensation of `20,000 to the complainant and are also directed to pay a sum of `3,000 towards his litigation expenses,” ordered the forum, while partly allowing the complaint of 68-year-old Sabi Joseph, a native of Chevarambalam post in Calicut.
The Bangalore Urban-II Additional District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, comprising president T Shobhadevi and member V Anuradha, said it was the Rail-
ways’s duty to see that they do not inconvenience passengers.
“We are of the opinion that the complainant has proved deficiency in service on the part of the Railways”, said the forum.
The forum observed the complainant tried to set right the inconvenience, but he could not, as there was no cooperation from the Indian Railways. The Railways admitted the facts, but to overcome the same, it has come out with different versions, it said, while pointing out similar inconveniences faced by many passengers.
According to the order dated April 27, 2019, Joseph had to travel from Vijayawada to Kozhikode, Kerala on September 15, 2017. Considering his age, he thought of breaking his journey at Yeswanthpur and then he would proceed to Kozhikode after a short rest. Therefore, he booked a sleeper ticket from Vijayawada to Yeswanthpur in train No 15228 and then to Kozhikode in train No 16527 on August 16, 2017.
Accordingly, he occupied a lower berth on the Vijayawada bound train. However, he had to take strenuous efforts to occupy his berth on entering in the train since the compartment was crowded with unreserved passengers who were playing cards without caring about reserved passengers. They were travelling in the reserved coach since they were on the waiting list.
When the matter was brought to his notice, the TTE shouted at these passengers and regularised their travel, claims Joseph, who also complained that the toilets in the compartment were extremely dirty. Despite a message he sent to the Railway’s dedicated mobile numbers, no action was taken all night. All the unreserved passengers slept on the floor blocking the way to the toilets.
The Railways has denied Joseph’s allegations of unreserved passengers playing cards and accused him of fabricating the story in order to gain the forum’s sympathy. On the date of journey, as the train timings clashed, the said rain was not cleaned in Vijayawada as there was an on-board house-keeping service available on it. No other passenger complained, it claimed.
The forum said it is the duty of the housekeeping service staff to take steps to keep the toilets clean.