50 stalls from Churchgate to Virar to shut as WR owes BMC more than 100 crore

Canteens at Marine Lines railway station, which were shut down last week

The next time you are thirsty, and at the platform of a Western Railway (WR) station, you might have to literally hunt for a stall to buy a bottle of water. In a major crackdown against defaulting canteen stalls that owe the Railways over R10 crore in water bills, WR has decided to shut them down in a phased manner. Sources said that approximately 50 stalls between Churchgate and Virar are expected to shut shop soon.

According to a WR official, as per initial estimates, the stalls owe the Railways over Rs 10 crore in water bills between 2002 and 2012. As the canteens are a matter of commuter convenience, WR said it would shut down the canteens in phases.

As part of the drive, WR has already sealed around three to four canteens at Marine Lines station last week. The canteens have been covered in tarpaulin sheets, and the vendors have been warned against doing any business. Currently, there are only two operational canteens at the station -- one on platform no. 1 and the other on platform no. 2.

WR chief spokesperson Ravinder Bhakar confirmed the crackdown and said it was high time the defaulters were punished for non-payment.

A recent Right To Information (RTI) petition revealed that the Railways owe the BMC water bills to the tune of Rs 100 crore. A senior official, on condition of anonymity, said, "We have been paying the bills to the BMC and other civic bodies as far as possible, but those running the canteens kept defaulting and also approached the court. The WR has started the crackdown at Marine Lines station. There are defaulters at other stations too, and we will be shutting them down too."

Canteen stalls at railway stations have been a problem area for the Railways. A recent mid-day audit of railway stations found that platform no. 1 at Dadar station has more than eight to nine canteens. These stalls, along with book stalls, water filters and bridge landings, have eaten up space on the existing platform, leaving little room for commuters waiting for trains or walking along the platform stretch.