Going stern over licensees violating norms with malpractices from passengers availing pay and use toilets, the Sealdah division of Eastern Railway has collected Rs 11,500 as penalty till now.
Last month, the Sealdah division launched an awareness campaign informing passengers about the standard charges and encouraging them to report any instances of overcharging. According to the ER, the pay and use toilets within railway stations are chargeable for urinals by Rs 1, as per competent authority of railways. Prior to the circular, urinals in these facilities were free for all. However, some licensees were found to be charging excessive amounts, causing inconvenience to passengers.
The division undertook an active monitoring of compliance and addressed instances of overcharging from passengers. Following the move, a total of Rs 11,500 in penalties by the commercial department of the division was collected from licensees found to be violating the regulations. According to the divisional railway manager of Sealdah, Deepak Nigam, the division would continue to take strict action against any licensee found to be overcharging at pay and use toilets. “We urge passengers to be vigilant and report any instances of overcharging to railway officials,” said Mr Nigam.