4 water-vending machines lie non-functional at rly station

Gagandeep Sharma

Bathinda, May 21

Four out of the eight water-vending machines installed at the Bathinda railway station to provide chilled and pure water to passengers are lying non-functional.

Reason: non-availability of water and electricity connections due to lack of communication between the Railways and the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation.

According to officials of the Bathinda railway station, the Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation provided these water-vending machines in September 2016.

Two machines each have been installed at platform number 5 and 6. One machine each has been set up at platform number 1 to 4.

The cost of a water-vending machine is Rs 6 lakh. Passengers can get 300 ml of water through a machine at Re 1.

Passengers have to carry their own bottles to get water from these machines. Otherwise, they have to pay extra to buy bottles. They can also use cash cards to buy water.

Shri Venkteshvar Enterprises has the licence to operate these machines and Waterman Solutions has the rights of the franchisee.

Station Master Ram Saroop Meena said, “All machines installed at the railway station are working. A few of them are closed due to lack of passengers. We are planning to shift these machines to places which are visited by a large number of passengers.”

“The contractor is left with no option but to shut the machines due to lack of passengers,” the Station Master added.