Rs 104 Crore Worth Of Blankets, Pillows, Towels And More Stolen From Trains In 4 Years
New Delhi: An RTI report has revealed that the Indian Railways have lost more than Rs 104 crores due to the passengers stealing bedsheets, blankets, pillow, pillow cover, face tower among others from the air-conditioned coaches.
At least 1.27 crore bedroll items were stolen from the compartments between January 2022 and May 2026, the RTI-investigation by The Indian Express said.
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As per the report, about 8 lakh AC passengers across the Indian Railways network tuck themselves into linen bedrolls including bedsheets, blanket, pillow and pillow cover every night. As every trip ends, some of them, about one in every 1,000 passengers.
The RTI had sought data from all 69 divisions of the Indian Railways, and the replies were obtained from 54 divisions across 16 of 18 Railway zones, some shared partial information. The theft has cost bedroll contractors an estimated Rs 104.51 crore in the over four-year period. Towels top in stolen items, with the face towel, which is the easiest to carry, tops the list of most items stolen overall.
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The worst-hit divisions and places by the theft are Bikaner with 25.76 lakh items, Ranchi with 9.31 lakh, and Delhi with 8.21 lakh. Next in line: Mumbai with theft of 8.17 lakh bedroll items; Jodhpur with 8.09 lakh, Ahmedabad with 6.94 lakh and Danapur with 5.72 lakh.
Reacting to the development, Ministry of Railways spokesperson said the issue is of “serious concern” and efforts are being made to prevent linen theft and take action against offenders.
