Railway Board fails to justify side middle berths in Garib

Times of India: Nagpur: Wednesday, 01 October 2014.

Railway Board (RB) is shying away from coming clear on discriminatory policy on side middle berths (SMBs) in Garib Rath trains. This has become evident from the fact that the board officials are not even replying to queries under the RTI Act for the past three months.

At least 29 Garib Raths operate in the country but if RB officials are to be believed, not all these trains have SMBs. For example, New Delhi-Chennai Garib Rath doesn't have SMBs while Nagpur-Pune does, causing grave inconvenience to the passengers.

In 2008, the railways spent 75 crore on enhancing capacity of over 6,000 sleeper coaches to install SMBs. However, amid nationwide protests, these were removed from mail/express trains but not from the Garib Raths, with an argument that its fares are 40% less as compared to AC travel in other trains.

City-based consumer rights activist Avinash Prabhune on June 6, had sought to know from RB under RTI Act as to why passengers of Nagpur-Pune were discriminated. However, blatantly defying RTI provisions even on the issues of common public interests, the board denied information even after three months.

Prabhune's queries included dimensions of SMBs, copy of administrative decision for not removing these berths from Garib Rath, reasons and copy of the document authorizing such discrimination and reasons thereof and number of Garib Raths having SMBs.

The RTI application was sent to Shrikant Janbandhu, joint director (coaching), who is also public information officer (PIO). As information was not provided in 45 days, Prabhune filed first appeal July 19, with executive director (coaching). However, the ED replied to only one query that there are 26 pairs of Garib Raths operating in India and said other information would be sent by other directorates.

Janbandhu admitted that not all Garib Rath trains had SMBs. "There is a proposal to introduce SMBs in Garib Rath trains which don't have them. This will be done to generate more revenue."

Prabhune says hundreds of passengers are victims of SMBs. "None of the railways in the world have tried such uncaring idea for passengers. If railways removed SMBs from over 6,000 coaches in 2009, why torment Garib Rath passengers," he asks.

Former zonal railway users consultative committee (ZRUCC) member Pravin Dabli had also raised the issue at a meeting in Bilaspur in November 2012. Arunendra Kumar, then GM, South East Central Railway (SECR) and now RB chairman, had admitted that SMBs in Garib Raths were troublesome and should be removed.

"Now Kumar heads the Board. He should do the needful," demanded Dabli.

Perturbed Prabhune filed the second appeal before Central Information Commission (CIC), Delhi on September 15.

Hence, Prabhune has prayed CIC to impose suitable penalty of 250 per day for the entire delay on CPIO for not providing information as per provisions of RTI Act.