Mumbai: According to RTI data provided by Western Railway's Mumbai division, the railway protection force (RPF) has returned only 34 percent of total lost or stolen belongings in the last five years. And, from Chatrapati Shivaji Maharah Terminus (Central Railway), belongings worth Rs 81 lakhs were returned to commuters in five years.
Both CSMT and Mumbai Central provided information to a Pune-based Vihar Durve application who sought details of bags, luggage, and valuables lost and stolen by travellers on outstation trains coming to Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Mumbai Central.
Durve, in his application, had also sought details of stolen goods returned to the owners and compensation paid to them as per the rules of the railways. Both did not provide details of the stolen property or compensation, if any, provided.
CST returns 233 belongings
As per information provided under RTI by the Railway Police Force, CSMT, Mumbai, they have returned 233 belongings worth Rs 81.34 lakhs in the last five years to travellers. The information pertaining to those stolen, however, was not provided. The office of the senior divisional security commissioner, RPF, CSMT, Mumbai, said that the office does not have information on stolen belongings.
From Mumbai Central division, out of 997 stolen or lost items in the last five years, 342 were recovered and returned. Mumbai Central, however, did not provide the valuation details of the lost belongings. Belongings in both the cases included bags, luggage, and valuables.
As per information by CSMT, bags were among the most lost of all belongings and stood at 216 out of 233 belongings lost. The highest bags were lost in 2018 at 73, followed by 56 bags until September 2022. Valuables lost on the other hand were were more in 2022. As per valuation, bags worth Rs 35.54 lakhs were lost in 2022 alone.
Mumbai Central returns 997 belonging
As per information provided by Mumbai Central, 997 belongings were lost, of which only 342 were returned. Western Railway said that they had come up with an application for citizens to put up complaints about belongings lost.
"Ideally, the railways should put up a board that provides information on what should be done if a belonging is lost or stolen, along with the name and number of the officer. When I had lost a belonging, they did not have a register maintained for me to complain, despite clear rules being there for lost belongings to be given to station master," said Durve.
FPJ attempted to contact the offices of the Western Railway and Central Railway but there was no response from them.
