Mumbai: Fishing community face heat of privatisation of parcel coaches by Indian railways

Fisherfolk in the city who use trains to transport their stock have complained that they are being thrown out of their age-old regular connecting trains by parcel operators who have taken over all luggage compartments.

"Fishermen who are in the business of supplying seafood to northern states of India have started facing the heat of privatisation of parcel coaches by Indian railways as they have begun offloading seafood parcels from Uttar Pradesh-bound train number 19019 at Palghar station. Private operators to whom the railways has leased these parcel coaches are running their own fiefdom, taking the fishing community by surprise," said Devendra Tandel, president of Akhil Maharashtra Macchimar Kruti Samiti.

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Fishermen say they have been plying their trade through parcel vans for more than 50 years. Representation pic

"For more than 50 years, these fishermen have been plying their trade through parcel vans and to face such discrimination on the 75th anniversary of Indian Independence is something that we are finding difficult to accept," said Vinod Patil, Palghar district president of the body.

These fish suppliers have written a letter to the railway minister and railway board chairman against this alleged discrimination. "These fish suppliers belong to the Satpati fishing village of Palghar district. The Satpati Machhimar Vividh Karyakari Sahkari Society Limited, a local fishermen co-operative society, has also written a letter to the parcel section of the Indian railways to re-initiate the seafood parcel service on these coaches," he said.

"We have also demanded a departmental inquiry and necessary punitive action against errant private
operators," he said.

This Uttar Pradesh-bound 19019 train originates from Bandra Terminus and terminates at Haridwar Junction in Uttar Pradesh. It halts at Palghar station where fishermen from Satpati load seafood that is to be transported to northern cities and regions such as Delhi, Meerut, Saharanpur and Dehradun.

While Western Railway Divisional Railway Manager GVL Satyakumar did not respond to calls and messages for over two days, Western Railway officials said they would look into the matter.