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It is no exaggeration if I begin by saying that Indian Railways is one of the largest rail network in the world. According to this website, Indian Railways run 14,300 trains that ferry an average of 13 million passengers and 1.3 million tonnes of freight, every single day. From a public enterprise that plays such an important role in the lives of common Indian public, it is but natural to expect them to be a responsible public authority.

But the reality is far apart.

I won’t be too wrong to say that each one of us has one time or more found oneself a victim of either personal or luggage theft during a rail journey. We all had to bear the brunt of the lax attitude and security of railway staff. The situation gets more frustrating when we realised that there is absolutely no efficient system in place to stop such robberies. Of course, there are railway guards and TTE whose duty is to provide safety to passengers, and prevent robberies from taking place. But how effective is their vigil? And how duty bound are they to their responsibility? The answers are unclear.

But all is not negative. We do come across certain cases where time and often the Railways have been pulled up for their casual attitude; and made to compensate a passenger for the loss of luggage while travelling.

One such case that I would like to quote is from an article that talks about how Indian Railways were ordered by the NCDRC to pay Rs. 2.01 Lakh as compensation to a lady doctor who lost her luggage on a train journey. According to the article, “Classifying a rail passenger as a consumer, the NCDRC held the Railways liable to compensate the woman for theft of her luggage, saying there was failure on the part of the ticket checker to ensure that no intruders entered the reserved coach. The consumer panel rejected the contention of the railways that there was no negligence on their part and unless the goods were booked with them, they are not liable to pay the compensation. The railways had claimed that the passenger was responsible for taking care of her luggage.”

The article also elaborates a case by the same bench passing a judgement that, “One has to presume that passenger would take reasonable care of his luggage. But, he cannot be expected to take measures against intruders getting easily into reserved compartments and running away with goods, when the railway administration is charged with the responsibility to prevent such unauthorized entry. We have entered the 21st century and we cannot carry on our daily life in the same age old fashion with bearing brunt of indifferent service provided by public authorities like Railways. People expect in the 21st century a modicum of efficient and reliable service, which provides at least safety of person and property while traveling in reserved compartments”.

The website of Indian Railways also carries information stating that passengers now have a facility to lodge a complaint in running train. “Forms to lodge FIR/Complaint to Police are now available with the Coach attendants, Conductors, Guards, RPF train escorts in Running Trains and with RPF Assistance Posts, RPF Post / Outpost at important Railway stations. The affected passengers are requested to fill in the forms with relevant information and hand it over to the above mentioned Railway Officials/RPF Personnel. The same shall be promptly forwarded to the GRP concerned for further necessary action.”

Above points make it abundantly clear that Indian Railways are getting vigilant, and are trying to stop the menace of thefts. But the measures are not enough. What do you think should be done to stop this problem? Can we, as passengers, do something about it? Let us know your comments and suggestions by replying to this post or sharing on our Facebook page.

In the meantime, if you or any one you know has been a victim of rail theft, log on to Power to Consumer and let us know.

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Photo credit: Madhiarasu via Flickr CC

[su_quote]Five killed in a LPG Cylinder Blast – The Hindu; Three killed in a LPG Cylinder Blast in Bangalore – The Times Of India; LPG Cylinder Blast in Bangalore Temple Creates Panic – Indian Express. [/su_quote]

Read any newspaper, and one can spot at least one incident of a cylinder blast being reported every week. What was supposed to be a one-off incident is now becoming a regular affair in the households of India. But hardly does one ponder over the reason and cause of such incidents. Why do such accidents happen? Can such incidences be avoided? If yes, how? Read to understand:

What do reports say?

As per reports, there is no one specific reason that causes a cylinder blast. Many of the cases are attributed to reckless and careless usage of gas cylinders and hot plates. The other major reason of such an incident is [su_highlight background=”#e0ef6f”]distribution of an expired LPG cylinder by the distributor, and ignorance of the consumer in accepting it[/su_highlight].

Cylinders have expiry dates too!

Yes! The gas cylinder that you have in your home has an expiry date stamped on its head. According to sources, expired LPG cylinders are cylinders who have passed their validity dates, and are due for statutory testing before they can be considered fit for domestic or commercial usage. Hence they are virtually unsafe to be used, as such [su_highlight background=”#e0ef6f”]cylinders are prone to gas leakage from valves which leads to explosion. Sometimes such cylinders get blasted in the delivery vehicle itself[/su_highlight].

According to an expert from a petroleum company, “the expiry date of a cylinder denotes the year and month when the cylinder is due for statutory testing. If a defect is found, it is repaired and after getting a certification from BIS [Bureau of Indian Standards], the cylinder is again put into circulation. However if the already repaired cylinder is again found to be damaged during subsequent statuary test, the cylinder is scrapped.”

How do I find out my gas cylinder’s expiry date?

There is a very simple method to determine the expiry date of a gas cylinder.

Each cylinder comes with three vertical stay plates (side stems) near its head. Besides carrying the weight information, one of the side stem carries some alpha-numeric code which is the expiry date of that particular gas cylinder. Here’s how to decode the expiry date.

[su_highlight background=”#e0ef6f”]Letter A stands for January to March; B covers April to June; C stands for July to September and D connotes the time period of October – December. So if the characters on the vertical stay plates carry the date ‘A – 07’, it means the expiry date of the cylinder was March 2007[/su_highlight]. Similarly, ‘A-14’ will indicate that the expiry date of the particular cylinder is March 2014. A cylinder that is used beyond the expiry date invites hazard, and should be promptly returned to the distributor.

It is important to note here that the date stands for expiry date of the cylinder and not of the liquefied petroleum gas that resides inside. But it is in the interest of consumers to always check for the expiry date of a cylinder while receiving a refill from the distributor.

What else do I need to check when I receive my refill?

Besides checking the expiry date, you should also check the points mentioned below as they are in your safety and interest:

Always check the seal of the cylinder
Check the safety cap. It should not have any cracks
Remove the safety cap and check for leakage from the valve
Get the new cylinder connected with your hotplate and make sure no leakage is observed

Our View

As per a TOI article, awareness about the validity of the cylinders within consumers is still low. Taking advantage of this ignorance, gas agencies and distributors pass an expired cylinder to consumers. The report states that, “Since a good percentage of people do not know about the fact that even cylinders have expiry dates, it goes unnoticed.”

The article clearly states that the onus of checking expiry date of a gas cylinder rests on consumers. As consumers, you have the right to reject a cylinder whose expiry date is near. So exercise the power that you have, and ensure safety of yourself and your loved ones.

Victim of theft during a train journey? Know your rights

Have you Checked your Cylinder for its Expiry Date?