RETIRING ROOM WAS AVAILABLE BUT COULD NOT BEEN ALLOCATED DUE TO WANT OF CLEAN BED SHEETS .
I AM OVER 75 YEARS OF AGE AND WAS DUE TO AVAIL sEALDAH RAJDHANI EXPRESS AT 0358 HRS ON 21 MARCH 2010 FROM GAYA TO SEALDAH . MY PNR NO WAS 2103476131 .
AT AROUND 2030 OF 20 MARCH 2010 , I APPROACHED ENQUIRY CLERK ( mISHRAji ) WHO GAVE NECESSRAY FORMS FOR FILLING UP AND SAID THAT THERE ARE NO BEDSHEETS AVAILABLE FOR SPREADING ON THE BED AND THIS IS LIKE THIS FOR OVER A WEEK .
I WENT TO DY. STATION SUPDT ( SINHA JEE) WHO SAID THAT HE WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY SUCH PROBLEM AND ASKED THE ENQUIRY CLERK TO COME TO HIS OFFICE .( 2045 HRS )
AFTER LISTENING TO ENQUIRY CLERK , DY SUPDTCONFIRMED AND GAVE ME THE OPTION OF TAKING THE RETIRING ROOM AT RS 600/ BUT WITHOUT ANY BED SHEETS . NATURALLY , I DECLINED THE OFFER .
RESULT WAS I HAD TO SIT ON A WOODEN BENCH FOR NEXT 7 HOURS UNTIL MY TRAIN ARRIVED FOR SEALDAH .
I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE SIMPLE QUESTION WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SUPERVISING ONE OF THE BASIC AMENTIES BUILT FOR THE NEEDY PASSENGERS .
I STRONGLY BELEIVE THAT RAILWAY SERVICES TO TRAVELLERS START AS SOON AS A PASSENGER REACHES THE RAILWAY PLATFORM WITH A VALID TICKET . SERVICES FROM CATERING FACILITIES , CLEANLINESS , OTHER FACILITIES AS EXISTANT AT THE STARTING STATION MUST BE MADE AVILABLE .
OTHERWISE THE MONEY SPENT ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF ALL SUCH FACILITIES GONE DOWN THE DRAIN .
THE CURRENT RAILWAY MINISTRY HAS FORMED VARIOUS COMMITTES / BODIES TO EXTEND PROPER SERVICES TO THE TRAVELLERS AND FIX RESPONSIBILITY ON THE ERRING OFFICIALS .
ONE SUCH COMMITTES MUST LOOK INTO THE MATTER AND SEE THAT NOBODY LIKE ME OF THE AGE OF 75+ DOES NOT HAVE TO SIT FOR OVER 6 HOURS ON A WOODEN BENCH WHILE THE MINISTRY HAS BUILT FACILITIES FOR COMFORTS TO WAITING PASSENGERS .