Patna: In a major crackdown against unauthorised sale of packaged drinking water and overcharging of passengers, Danapur division of the East Central Railway (ECR) has seized around 3,000 illegal and unauthorised water bottles during an intensive decoy checking drive.Danapur senior divisional commercial manager Abhinav Siddarth said 207 decoy checks were carried out across the division over the past week. Offenders found supplying unauthorised bottles or charging passengers above the fixed price were penalised on the spot on Thursday.The action was initiated following several complaints received from passengers regarding overcharging and supply of fake water bottles at railway premises. Based on these complaints, railway teams carried out surprise checks at catering stalls, multi-purpose stalls (MPS), pantry cars, parking areas and pay-and-use toilet facilities, Siddarth said .During the drive, railway officials monitored whether passengers were being forced to pay extra for essential items particularly packaged drinking water, against the prescribed rates. The teams also checked the quality and authorisation of water bottles being sold to passengers, he said .Railways imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on the offenders found violating the norms. The railway administration has warned that strict action would continue against vendors and individuals involved in illegal activities affecting passenger convenience, he said adding surprise decoy checking drives would continue in the coming days to prevent overcharging, ensure availability of authorised products and provide hassle-free services to passengers .
