Vendors not giving bills for food in Pune railway divison

PUNE: Railway Minister Piyush Goyal had announced that passengers need not pay for the food they purchase on board trains if the vendor does not furnish a bill. Yet, vendors on trains departing from Pune Junction are not giving bills to passengers. 

The decision of ‘No bill, no payment’ came after Goyal found that vendors were not giving bills to passengers on long-distance trains, though the rule was introduced in March 2018. As per policy, if the bill is not provided for food and beverages purchased on trains, the passengers do not have to pay for it.

Sumit Sinha (name changed), who travelled from Pune to Bhopal by Jhelum Express on August 14, did not receive the bill during the journey. Though he asked for it, the vendor forgot to provide it. Sumit said the train departed from Pune at 5.20 pm and after a few minutes, vendors started selling food items.

“I asked for a bill from one of the vendors. He said he was not carrying the bills. I was told to pay and the vendor assured he will provide the same after a few hours. But none of the passengers were given the bills. Next day when I reached Bhopal the vendor did not provide the bill,” Sinha told Sakal Times.

He said the vendors were not carrying the POS machine along with them. The POS machine was with the pantry car manager and he was not allowed to carry the machine with him, the vendors said.

“We are not allowed to carry the POS machine. The manager instructed us that if a passenger asks for a bill they must pay first and then they get the bill. We are only staffers and all decisions have been taken by the manager,” said the vendor on phone.

The situation was the same on other long route trains like Pune-Patna, Pune-Ranchi, Pune-Darbhanga and Pune-Ernakulam Express. 

Another passenger of Pune-Patna Superfast Express, Jay Singh said, “I was travelling on Pune-Patna Express in the first week of August. The vendor refused to give the bill. When I asked for the bill, he took an hour and even after 33 hours they failed to give the bill. Railway should take action against these vendors.”

Sources said when passengers ask for bills, they take at least half an hour to provide. 

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has been instructed by Railway Ministry to check all pantry car POS machines a/bout bill payments. But IRCTC officials at Pune Junction are not checking the pantry cars, said a reliable source from the Pune railway division.

Railway Pravasi Manch President Harsha Shah alleged that both IRCTC and pantry car staff are hand in gloves. “This was the duty of IRCTC to check all the pantry cars. The railway was giving facilities to passengers and these pantry car managers are not giving bills. They must be penalised. The Pune Railway Divisional Manager must take action against these violators,” she said.

When contacted Pune Railway Division Spokesperson Manoj Jhawar said, “If passengers are not given the bills, the food is free. The passengers can complain.”