Pune: Many train passengers have, of late, taken to social media to complain about the dirty linen in AC coaches of trains, which has put the Pune Railway Division under the spotlight since many complaints come from Pune trains.

According to these complaints, passengers have been handed out stinking, unusable and dirty bedsheets, blankets and
pillows.

The extent of the problem is evident from the fact that as many as five complaints every day of dirty bedding in trains operating from Pune are made on Indian Railway’s Twitter
grievance cell.

Also, in two instances in last fortnight, the Pune division administration has fined the laundry contractor after users posted photographs of dirty sheets on social media.

According to railway officials, after receiving complaints of dirty linen they have taken action against the contractor.

However, officials were clueless about the reason for the rise in number of complaints on social media about dirty bedrolls in trains operating from Pune.

“The contractor was fined so that such incidents don’t occur again,” an official said.

Unhygienic bedding

- Number of complaints about dirty linen like bedsheets, blanket and pillows in trains operating from Pune is on rise.
- This is in addition to  complaints about cockroaches, rats and bed bugs in railway compartments.
- It may be recalled that in February last year, Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha had made a statement in Rajya Sabha that blankets in Railways are washed only ‘twice a month’.
- Later, senior officials in the Railway Board said the Indian Railways is planning to introduce ‘daily washable blankets’ designed by National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT).