Indian Railways to pay Rs30,000 to Mohali resident for filthy toilets in AC coach

The district consumer disputes redressal commission, Mohali, directed the Indian Railways to pay ₹30,000 compensation to a New Chandigarh resident after finding that toilets in his AC coach remained unusable throughout his journey.

The bench, comprising president SK Aggarwal and members Paramjeet Kaur and Lt Col JS Bath, held the Railways accountable for failing to provide basic sanitation facilities despite repeated complaints.

Complainant Surinder Kumar Munshi alleged he had booked a berth in an AC-3 Tier coach of Train No. 09098 (Jammu Tawi-Bandra Terminus Special) for travel on November 22, 2023. During the journey, he found all toilets in his coach to be filthy and unusable. He even raised the issue with the travelling ticket examiner (TTE) at several stations, including Ambala, Mathura, Kota and Ratlam, but no remedial action was taken. The complainant further lodged grievances through RailMadad.

But the Railways gave contradictory responses. While one reply stated that instructions had been issued to cleaning staff, another admitted that housekeeping services could not be provided due to shortage of manpower.

After examining the photographs placed on record, the commission held that the condition of the toilets clearly substantiated the allegations. It rejected the Railways’ contention that such facilities are provided on humanitarian grounds and do not fall within the ambit of “service”, observing that basic amenities like sanitation are integral to the service for which passengers pay.

The bench further held that assigning cleaning work to a contractor does not absolve the Railways of its responsibility. It also dismissed objections regarding jurisdiction and procedural technicalities, noting that such grounds cannot defeat a genuine consumer grievance.

Partly allowing the complaint, the commission directed the Railways to pay ₹30,000 compensation for mental agony, harassment and litigation expenses. It also ordered the Railways to deposit ₹15,000 in the legal aid account of the commission and ₹15,000 with the Tricity Consumer Courts Bar Association within 30 days of receiving the order.