Indian Railways Modernisation Efforts In Vain As Passengers Steal Assets Worth Crores From Trains And Stations

Amidst its efforts of modernisation, Indian Railways is grappling with challenges in maintaining its infrastructure, Financial Express reported.

The Mumbai Mirror has reported that several items were stolen from long-distance trains including 1.95 lakh towels, 81,736-bed sheets, 55,573 pillow covers, 5,038 pillows and 7,043 blankets.

It has been reported that items worth approximately Rs 62 lakh were stolen including 79,350 hand towels, 27,545-bed sheets, 21,050 pillow covers, 2,150 pillows and 2,065 blankets Sunil Udasi, Chief Public Relations Officer Central Railway said.

Articles worth Rs 2.5 crore were stolen excluding the damaged properties, a report said. It further noted that the cost of each bed sheet is Rs 132, while the towel costs Rs 22 and pillow costs Rs 25 each.

Reports suggest that Indian Railways had suffered a loss of nearly Rs 4,000 crore, thefts being one of the primary reasons. Last year, on Tejas Express, whose cheapest ticket costs Rs 1,185, passengers stole its Jaguar fittings from toilets, headphones and also left several LED screens damaged.

It also was reported that the vandalism and theft caused by passengers on Mumbai-Manmad Panchavati Express train, went Indian Railways with a repair bill of around Rs 9 lakh. The rake of that train had recently been upgraded with new swanky LHB coaches, but alas, passengers were careless while using the modern amenities.