Eatables: Railways to blacklist contractors for overcharging

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 5

Railway officials today took strict note of overcharging of customers by vendors for food items at the local railway station. The officials dismissed a vendor, Rajinder Kumar, who was found selling food items above the MRP at the station.

The officials also issued them warning that if anybody found overcharging, then the contractor of the concerned firm would be blacklisted.

Station superintendent Pradeep Kumar, commercial marketing inspector MR Khan, Railway Police Force (RPF) in-charge Rajesh Rohilla held a meeting with the vendors at the station superintendent’s office. In the meeting, MR Khan told the vendors that they had received many complainants regarding over charging at the station.

He said it was seen that some vendors while going for work for some time, left behind unauthorised persons at their stalls to look after their work. They in turn sell the items at higher rates to earn extra profit. He said it was wrong both for the vendor as well as for the security of the station.

He also instructed the vendors to wear proper uniform and they should also carry their identity cards issued to them. He also urged them to maintain cleanliness at the railway station.

RPF in-charge Rajesh Rohilla said leaving behind them an unauthorised person at their vend was a breach of security. He said that Punjab was on the high alert these days after the Gurdaspur terrorist attack, so this practice should be stopped immediately.

He also appealed them that they should cooperate with the RPF, GRP. If they see or found any objectionable substance or object lying at the railway station, they should immediately inform them.

While talking to Bathinda Tribune, Station Superintendent Pardeep Sharma said security was a major issue here as this railway station was open from all the sides and it had many exit and entry points.

He said many a times we had seen these vendors over charging the customers.