Unauthorised hawkers sully City Station image

Unauthorised hawkers sully City Station image
By S Lalitha, DH News Service, Bangalore:


Any newspaper is sold for Rs 5, a one-litre water bottle is sold for Rs 16, biscuit packets are sold 50% more than the actual price, anything bought by passengers at the City station is sold at a premium. This is courtesy the 200-odd unauthorised hawkers who have coolly transformed the premises into their workplace.

The hawkers are not merely making merry at the cost of the passengers, but are also vending unhygienic and stale food packets.

Armed with fake railway identity cards and donning the brown coloured coat, the uniform of an Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation employee, they confidently enter the station each day without even bothering to buy a platform ticket.

A top railway official blamed their huge numbers to connivance between the railway officials, the Government Railway Police and the unauthorised vendors. It is really difficult to put an end to it as they grease the palms of those supposed to check their presence, he alleged.

This also explains why some hawkers no longer run at the sight of a cop or a railway police official. Rather, they confidently go about their business. Another official pointed out to the proliferation of beggars here. “You should see how they surge inside and near the windows of every Shatabadi Express. The big talk about transforming the City station into a world class one is not possible when this vast population of hawkers go unchecked,” he says.

Legal provision

Section 144 of The Railways Act 1989 which deals with the prohibition of hawking and begging states that any individual found canvassing or hawking the sale of any article in any railway carriage any part of Railway without a licence will be imprisoned up to a year or a fine of Rs 2,000 or both. But this provision is not implemented.

A top railway police official denied the presence of any authorised hawkers within the station. “They are not present within the City station limits but after the train departs the station, hawkers without licences may board en route. IRCTC will never permit their presence here,” he said. “It is a great offense for them to be imprisoned or meted out serious punishment,” he added.

However, IRCTC strongly believes the presence of a sizeable number here. The substandard products sold are definitely affecting the image of IRCTC as well as eating into their profits. IRCTC Chief Regional Manager Gagarin says, “We are doing our best to curtail them by nabbing them and informing the railway police too.

But whatever we do is like a drop in the ocean as the station is huge and hawkers easily make their way through the numerous entry points to the station.”