Indian railways offer a unique experience, fusing the practicalities of long-distance travel with the vibrancy of the nation’s diverse culture. For millions of people, Indian Railways—the fourth-largest rail network in the world—offers a wide choice of services that suit their tastes, finances, and social strata. Similarly, the range of food offered by onboard merchants and on platforms showcases the country’s culinary diversity.
Pantry carriages are common on long-distance trains; they cook and serve meals to passengers. Throughout the trip, the pantry staff also sells tea, coffee, and snacks at regular intervals. Additionally, Indian Railways has launched e-catering services in recent years. It let customers order food from a range of eateries and food chains, and have it delivered right to their seat at specific stations.
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However, from the beginning, station sellers form a vital part of the railway ecosystem. At almost every major station, a plethora of food vendors offer an array of local snacks and meals. These merchants offer everything from fresh fruits and bottled water to steaming hot samosas and pakoras.
Although the ecosystem of railroads depends heavily on these sellers, train passengers commonly find that basic necessities like snacks and water bottles are overpriced at these stores. They are frequently are forced to pay these exorbitant costs since they have few other options. Millions of travelers are impacted by this problem every day, and unless someone speaks out against it, there doesn’t seem to be a remedy in sight.
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Recently, a man at Guwahati Railway Station decided to take a stand after being overcharged for a product. Things become so much more complicated over the complaint that the railway has to respond to these allegations of overpricing.
Passengers allege overpricing by railway station vendors
Recently, a guy named Avinash raised his voice against the overpricing of products at railway stations. The incident occurred recently at the Guwahati Railway Station. A video of the incident was taken, and it rapidly went viral on social media, igniting heated debates.
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The man in the video says that the merchant requested that him to pay Rs 50 for a cake that had an MRP of Rs 40. Strangely, the store employee got upset and started acting strangely toward him when he questioned the additional fee before giving the money back. A glimpse of the shopkeeper trying to take the man’s phone is also seen on camera.
Avinash’s post instantly went viral and also drew a lot of reactions on the social media platform. Many people called it a scam, while others called for stringent regulations related to MRP.
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Railway authorities took action against the vendor
Faced with such behavior, Avinash decided to report the incident to the authorities. Fortunately, his actions led to swift measures being taken against the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper was fined Rs 1,000 and terminated from his position.
Upon sharing the video, Avinash wrote on Instagram:
“Finally, action has been taken against the shopkeeper, and he has been penalised Rs 1000 and fired from his job. Platform no. 3 Guwahati station (Assam) what is happening in Assam: misbehaving with a customer and not following the Legal Metrology Rules (Pre-Packed Commodities) PCR, 2011? Is this Indian law? Are the shopkeepers following the rules and regulations, or they don’t need to follow?!!!!”
He added,
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“As you can clearly see in this video that the person (shopkeeper) ask 50 rs for a packet of cake which MRP is 40, when I told him that why are you asking for extra money then he start misbehaving with me if all the shopkeeper’s start asking for extra money then how the consumer will able to buy products on railway station, shopkeeper’s like this are stigma for our society…..soo I don’t know what it is and how they got the power to sell items above MRP.. and how he get the right to pull my camera phone and try’s to harass me”
Furthermore, Avinash also shared the details of the shop where this incident happened.
View this post on Instagram
Nevertheless, while the matter has been resolved and Avinash’s social media post raised alarm about the overpricing at railway stations, the matter is not going to vanish soon, as many vendors and even people are cooperating quietly with this culture of overpricing at railway stations. The culture raised pertinent questions about adherence to legal regulations and the absence of strict law implementation.