Proposal of massage services in trains to withdraw under severe criticism
New Delhi : The Rail Ministry has decided to withdraw the proposal of providing head, neck and foot massages to passengers on train.
An official had said on June 8 that the railways was preparing to begin the facility in the next couple of weeks in 39 trains departing from Indore. This is a proposal from the Ratlam division of Western Railway zone.
It was earlier reported that the railways is looking to earn an additional revenue of Rs 20 lakh annually and an estimated increase of Rs 90 lakh per year through additional sale of tickets from about 20,000 passenger who will be the service providers.
The move was criticised by BJP’s Indore MP Shankar Lalwani. He wrote to Union minister Piyush Goyal, saying that it is against Indian culture to offer such services in the presence of women.
“I can understand this service being provided in tourist trains or even Shatabdi and Rajdhani trains, but not in passenger trains as is being planned. In passenger trains who cares for massages? They are poor people and the journeys last for three to four hours. Who needs a massage there? I think this is completely unnecessary and many women groups here have also complained about it.”
