Dear Countrymen, Could You Please Stop Stealing From Indian Railways?

Between the months of April and September alone, 79,350 hand towels, 27,545 bedsheets, 21,050, pillow covers, 2,150 pillows and 2,065 blankets were stolen

By: News Desk |
October 11, 2018 5:17 pm

It seems we Indians don’t really understand the concept of ‘public property’ quite well. Indian Railways has incurred deep losses, all thanks to errant passengers lucking away with blankets, pillows, toilet fittings, etc., from trains.

Going by the figures Western Railway has released, a total of 1.95 lakh towels, 81,736 bedsheets, 55,573 pillow covers, 5,038 pillows, and 7,043 blankets were stolen in the last fiscal alone. But stealing from berths is still conceivable. WRONG, but conceivable. Reportedly, close to 1,000 taps, 300 flush pipes and 200 toilet mugs are stolen every year.

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(Courtesy: Express Photo/Javed Raja)

Central Railway CPRO Sunil Udasi reported that between the months of April and September alone, 79,350 hand towels, 27,545 bedsheets, 21,050, pillow covers, 2,150 pillows and 2,065 blankets were stolen, a Mumbai Mirror report stated. Udasi added that the stolen items amounted to approximately Rs 62 lakh.

Over the last three fiscals, Indian Railways has incurred a loss of Rs 4,000 crore, owing to thefts from trains. While coach attendants have to bear the cost of stolen linen and pillows, other items such as washroom fittings are compensated by the railways.

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Being irresponsible with public property is nothing new to us. Just last year, passengers of Tejas Express — India’s first high-speed semi-luxurious train — littered the train, stole headphones, and damaged the infotainment LCD screens during the train’s maiden journey from Goa to Mumbai.

So, the next time we complain about substandard service, think about it — do we even deserve good things?