The illegal sale of unauthorised bottled water continues unabated in the North Eastern Railway zone, with local brands being openly sold at Gorakhpur Junction and on trains despite the winter season. Passengers are being charged Rs 20 per bottle for unauthorised water instead of the authorised Rail Neer.
Acting on the instructions of Station Director Ratan Deep Gupta, the commercial department conducted a raid on platform number nine on Saturday and seized around 300 bottles of local-brand water. The bottles were being loaded onto train number 12555, the Gorakhdham Express.
According to railway sources, at around 4 pm, illegal vendors were caught red-handed while loading the water bottles onto the Gorakhdham Express, which was stationed at platform nine, for sale to passengers. Following the seizure, the Station Director recommended strict action against the vendors involved.
Railway officials reiterated that only Rail Neer water bottles, priced at Rs 14, are authorised for sale on trains and railway platforms. Other brands may be sold only if they are officially approved by the railway administration and only in situations where Rail Neer is not available.