In what would immediately bring to mind the famous satire by Bharatendu Harishchandra, a mindless application of an otherwise sensible rule was seen in action when IRCTC charged Rs.50 as service charge on Tea worth Rs.20.
Trains and Tea, like Cricket and Films, form the essential ingredients in the lives of an average Indian. A news item reinforced the widely spread belief that any attempt to mess up with one of them usually is countered with vigour and vehemence.
As per a circular by Indian Railways in 2018, if a passenger hasn’t pre-booked his meal while making a reservation on an Express train, then a service charge of Rs 50 will be charged on any food item ordered during the rail journey.
However, a passenger on Delhi-Bhopal Shatabdi Express train was in for a rude shock when this rule was applied to an item as mundane as a cup of tea. The customer, who clearly was not amused tweeted the pictures of the bills, inviting a backlash from the Twitterati on IRCTC. The major plea hidden behind the angry remarks of the annoyed people appears to let tea be a mass drink and not make it a class drink – in trains.
Indian Youth Congress National President Srinivas BV was quick to not lose an opportunity to throw one or two barbs at the government, rightly or wrongly.
Earlier, the food services were mandatory in Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express. It was made optional in 2017. Later during Covid-19 pandemic, all the catering services were suspended.
