Nagpur station parking staff keep entry slips, issue no final receipt even for cash, drivers allege

Questions are being raised over the 'drop and go and parking' arrangement operating on both the eastern and western sides of Nagpur railway station. Drivers allege that they are given a receipt with the entry time as they enter the station premises, but the same receipt is taken back at the exit point when they leave. They say they are not given a final receipt even after paying cash. Complainants say this is a blatant violation of Sections 2(11) and 2(47).

According to the drivers, the dispute does not end there. If an aware driver speaks of their rights and asks for the receipt to be returned, the parking staffer starts arguing and says so much that the driver thinks it best to simply move on. It appears as though the staff have been given special training for this.

The new facility has one visible benefit. After the drop and go and underground parking began, the space in front of the building on the western side is far more open than before, and there is no crowd of vehicles. To save Rs 50 at the drop and go, people try to take their vehicles out within 12 minutes. But a speed breaker about 10 inches high near the exit booth defeats their effort, and they are forced to pay.

Aman Mittal, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager of the Nagpur division of Central Railway, said payment at the exit point will be through FASTag. When a driver pays in cash, giving a final receipt is mandatory. He said that if this is not happening, it will be investigated.

Railway Minister Ashwini Kumar has introduced a 'No Bill, No Payment' policy. Its aim is to bring a sense of transparency to the minds of rail consumers, and it has been implemented seriously across the country. The rule is mandatory for food and water stalls at stations, and for food, drink and all other goods sold in trains. If passengers ask for a bill, the contractor must give it. But it is not being followed in the parking at Nagpur station premises.

For disobeying the order, Section 72 provides imprisonment of at least one month and up to three years. The fine ranges from at least Rs 25,000 to Rs 1,00,000. Depending on the circumstances, the commission can impose both jail and a fine together. To enforce its orders, the consumer commission has the powers of a first-class judicial magistrate, under which it can also issue an arrest warrant against the accused.

Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, taking back the receipt amounts to a systematic attempt to destroy evidence and evade revenue. Section 318 deals with cheating, that is, taking money with wrongful intent and concealing evidence. Section 351/115 deals with threats or use of force, which includes misbehaviour when a receipt is demanded. In such cases the police can register a criminal case against the contractor or the staff, which may carry a financial penalty and imprisonment.