Railways blankets to now be washed twice monthly
Facing severe criticism over cleanliness, the Railways is overhauling its linen cleaning schedule, HT reports: blankets for AC coaches will now be washed twice a month, instead of the current once in two months. This is expected to reduce their service life from four to two years, and double the current price of Rs. 400. Not following rules might cost contractors their incentives.
Last year, CAG reported mass violation of norms
Last July, the CAG had criticized the Railways over management of linen. According to its report, no blankets had been dry-washed in 14 out of 33 selected depots during 2012-2016. In 12, blankets had been washed in intervals of 6-26 months. Linens had been sanitized in only seven. The Railways mandates washing linen after every use, but there was no compliance, CAG noted.
Here's what the new rules say
To improve conditions, the Railways will now replace the existing heavy woolen blankets with new woolen-and-nylon mix ones, which are more wash-friendly. They will be washed twice a month. "In case of capacity constraints, washing should be done minimum once a month," the order issued to all zones said. Used blankets should be sanitized regularly. Based on results, the policy would be reviewed after a year.
Passengers can provide feedback on cleanliness, which can impact incentives
If trains lack in cleanliness, passengers can leave feedback on a GPS-based system, which will directly impact payment of contractors with low scores. According to the Railways' contract, 30% of a contractor's monthly penalties and incentives will depend on an overall score from passengers regarding cleanliness levels. On-Board Housekeeping Staff entrusted with maintaining cleanliness in trains are mostly on contract.
Ranking of trains might also be affected
To encourage competition, the Railways will also start ranking trains and zones according to their performance. Trains will be scored on various parameters including cleanliness, a long-standing issue. It would then make lists of the top and bottom ten trains of every zone and release them publicly. This is part of Railway Minister Piyush Goyal's efforts to overhaul the system before the 2019 elections.
