Loss Of An Iconic Identity: Indian Railways To Sacrifice Book Stalls to De-Congest Mumbai Stations

A policy formulated by the railway board to de-congest railway stations could make AH Wheelers book stalls a thing of the past at Mumbai stations.

The policy requires all items, including books, snacks and medicines, to be sold under one roof with an aim to reduce the number of stalls at railway stations.

The iconic institution has, as a result, opposed the plan and has flagged several inconsistencies, Mumbai Mirror has reported.

Railway board’s pan-India policy aims to convert all exclusive stalls selling only one thing into multi-purpose stalls (MPS) which sell everything from books, magazines, newspapers, medicines, packaged drinking water, chips, biscuits, milk powder among other things. A letter directing implementation of the policy was recently sent to the zonal railway.

Railway’s reasoning behind this policy is to de-congest already congested railway stations of the country but officials themselves are saying that there are some discrepancies in the policy which need clarification from the board.

The stall owners strongly opposed the implementation of the policy. They pointed out various inconsistencies which would result in heavy losses to them if the policy is implemented.

A clause in the policy says that in a railway zone not more than 10 MPS can be run by a company while A H Wheelers has 18 stalls in the suburban network of central railway alone.

The owners of the A H Wheelers have approached to the railway board after which a committee was formed to look into the matter.