Northern Rlys fined for not giving seats against RAC tickets

A consumer forum here has directed Northern Railways to pay Rs 15,000 to a man for not providing him seats during a journey in 2011 despite his wait-listed tickets being converted to Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC) ones.
New Delhi District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, presided by C K Chaturvedi, asked the Northern Railways to pay Rs 15,000 to one Avdesh Kumar while holding it "deficient in services".
In its order, the forum also rejected Northern Railways' contention that it had forwarded Kumar's plea to East Central Railway Zone, while terming it an effort of "wishing away its responsibility."
"Railways cannot wish away its responsibility by alleging that complaint against ticket examiner(TTE) was forwarded to East Central Railway Zone because under Railways Act, 1989, the Railway is one entity and for administrative convenience, it has been divided into 9 zones," the forum said.

"Keeping in view, the long journey from Muzaffarpur to North Delhi, Kumar and his family suffered standing journey with all inconveniences despite having a right to comfortable sitting journey against RAC tickets.
"Mental agony, difficulties and inconvenience undergone by complainant can be imagined and holding the OP (railways) deficient in services, we award him compensation of Rs 15,000 inclusive of litigation expenses," it said.

Kumar had told the forum that he was travelling with his family in June 2011 from Muzaffarpur to North Delhi in Katihar Amritsar Express and the allotted tickets, which were wait listed, were converted to RAC.

However, berths were not provided to them despite repeatedly asking about the position of the tickets.
In its reply, however, the Railway authority raised the technical plea of its territorial jurisdiction and stated that Kumar should have checked the status of the chart.
The forum, however, noted that the railways nowhere denied that wait listed ticket was converted to RAC and it was completely silent about the reason for not providing the seat.