(We have received this review through Whatsapp from Mr. Ashok Sharma, a Talented Artist and a honest retired Government official. It is being published to help citizens to protect their right and fight against scamesters. link to check Rates of meals online from the list published by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. is also given here).
Last week I was travelling from Visakhapatnam to Howrah in Yesvantpur-Howrah
Express. Ordered Veg. meal from the pantry car, as per waiter it was Rs.90/-
only.
I have always in mind that these people are charging very high for the meals but
never took it seriously. But this time i determined to enquire about it.
Googled about the rate card and menu, found this website,
IRCTC Help: IRCTC Latest Food Menu Rates
I was shocked when I saw the rates -
Veg meals which pantry car person was selling at Rs 90 was priced only Rs 50/-
Non-Veg meals pantry car rate was priced Rs 100 is only Rs 55/-
Two more options are also available as Standard Thali Meals- Veg and Non-Veg
atRs 35 and Rs 40.
After meals , i handed over Rs 50 to the waiter, but he was demanding 90.
I asked him about the RATE CARD, he refused to have any such thing.
Shown him the above website and rates, he was like Rs. 50 will be ok but DON'T
TELL ANYONE.
I was so furious, travelled all the way from 13th coach to 1st coach to the
pantry car.
And on my way, informed co-passengers who were taking the meals from pantry
about this scam.
Met the Pantry-In-charge. Enquired about this. he was also telling the same
story, rate cards are missing right now but will shortly get the new one.
About the Jacked price of meal he was mum. Lodge a complaint in his Complaint
register , which he handed over to me after half an hour.
Initially he was pleading not to write the complaint but after writing the
complaint, he was like nobody will see this , it will go into dustbin that's it.
To my surprise, against my complaint (he is obliged to give reason in writing -
triplet complaint copies - one has to handed over to customer) he wrote "taken
only Rs 50 from customer Bill No XXX and this customer writes complaint every
time he travels."
The same situation is in almost every train, pantry car meals price are jacked
up as no one question them, no one ask about the rate card.
As per one of the estimate, every day around 25 million passenger travel from
Indian Railways , if only 0.5% of these passengers takes either lunch or dinner
from pantry cars , even extra rupees 30 on each plate will make these people
rich by Rs 37,500,000.
Calculate for yourself for 100% passengers complaining.
Or just multiply Rs 37,500,000 by 200 and again by 365...
ENORMOUS!
Please do insist for Bill every time you ordered any food from a Railway pantry
car.
Please do try to forward this to all, as so many depend on Rail travel & can't
afford Air travel.
(No part of the text is altered and published as it is)