E-Paper
Bhopal: Rly passengers compelled to buy local brands of drinking water
Passengers at Bhopal and Habibganj railway stations are compelled to buy bottled drinking water of local brands as the more established brands like the railway’s own "Rail Neer" are not sold at the stations.
Passengers at Bhopal and Habibganj railway stations are compelled to buy bottled drinking water of local brands as the more established brands like the railway’s own "Rail Neer" are not sold at the stations.
Only two packaged water brands, which are bottled at local plants in Morena and Indore, are being sold at the stations.
Vendors at stations alleged that they were 'forced' to stock the two brands by the local railway authorities.
"If we sell any other brands, railway would take action against us," said a vendor at Bhopal railway station, who did not want to give his name.
"We sell only those items which railway authorities allow us to sell. We can't sell any product without permission of railway authorities," he said.
Railway authorities admitted that they had restricted the number of packaged water brands that can be stocked, saying that vendors were allowed to sell 7-8 packed water brands.
"Brands which were not selling at Rs 15 per liter or less have not been allowed. But not two, there are at least six brands that can be sold," said Bhopal divisional railway manager Rajev Chaudhary.
It has been done to ensure that passengers get necessary commodities at reasonable rates, he said.
But, passengers are not amused.
"I asked for water bottle at the railway station. A vendor provided me a bottle packaged at Morena. I asked him to replace the bottle with a known brand… but it was the only brand available at Bhopal Railway Station," said Richa Mishra, a passenger at Bhopal railway station.
"I approached two-three more shops but got the same reply."
