How frequently are the blankets given to customers who pay for AC bus travel washed by indian Railways? While the linen given to passengers is cleaned after every use, the Ministry of Railways stated in an RTI answer to TNIE that wool blankets should be laundered "at least once a month, preferably twice in a month, subject to available capacity and logistics arrangements."
 
About 20 housekeeping employees from different long-distance trains were contacted by india Herald; the majority of them stated that the blankets are only cleaned once a month. Many said that they are only cleaned more regularly if they are soiled or unpleasant.

In answer to an RTI request, indian Railways stated that blankets, bedsheets, and pillowcases are all included in the train price package. Additionally, if a bedroll is chosen when purchasing tickets, it may be received on trains like Garib Rath and Duronto by paying an extra fee for each kit, which includes a pillow, bed linens, and other items. Rishu Gupta, a section official of the Ministry of Railways' Environment and Housekeeping Management (EnHM), submitted the reply.
 
Employees responsible for cleaning on many trains, notably Duronto, revealed the unsavory reality of the Railways' laundry. "We bundle up the linen—bedding sheets and pillowcases—and give them to the washing service after each trip. We fold the blankets carefully and store them inside the bus. We only send them for laundry service when we smell anything bad or see food on them," a housekeeping employee stated.

An additional member of the housekeeping staff, who has over ten years of experience working on different trains, stated that the cleanliness of the blankets is not monitored. "There is no assurance that the blankets are cleaned twice a month," he stated. Generally, we would only provide the blankets for cleaning if we discovered an unpleasant stench, moisture, vomit, etc. When a passenger complains, we may make sure they get a clean blanket right away.
 
According to a retired senior EnHM official, the Railways ought to stop using wool blankets. Because of their weight, the blankets are challenging to make sure are thoroughly cleaned. She declared, "It's about time the Railways stopped using these blankets."
 
Indian Railways operates 25 BOOT laundries and 46 departmental laundries nationwide, according to the RTI answer.
 

 
 
 
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SIBY JEYYA

22/10/2024 08:40 AM