While food services are usually expensive on flights and trains, this rail passenger was furious after being asked to pay Rs 70 for a cup of tea. A service charge of Rs 50 was charged from the passenger on tea worth Rs 20. Though initially it seemed like a mistake as the service charge is usually 5-10 per cent of the item purchased, but when the passenger confirmed, it was not so. In the bill, the price of tea was mentioned as Rs 20, on which a service charge of Rs 50 was charged.
The passenger tweeted a picture of the bill in which 250 per cent of the price of tea was charged in the Delhi-Bhopal Shatabdi Express train. “Tax 50 rupees on 20 rupees tea, the country’s economy has really changed, so far only history has changed!” Read the tweet.
50 rupees tax on 20 rupees tea, the country’s economics has really changed, so far only history has changed! pic.twitter.com/ZfPhxilurY— balgovind verma (@balgovind7777) June 29, 2022
Although soon his tweet started getting many replies but to correct them. A Twitter user replied, ‘Service charge is not a tax. It resides with the company. It is the same thing you will get on Patanjali bills if you have ever shopped from their outlets.
“IRCTC is a government organization. All service charges go to the government. They cannot write tax because people are aware, that’s why it is written as ‘service’, they are looting people in the name of service. Good that you shared,” another Twitterati replied.
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According to a 2018 circular of the Indian Railways, if a passenger has not booked his meal in advance while making a reservation on an express train, a service charge of Rs 50 will be charged on any food ordered during the train journey.
Earlier, meal services were mandatory in Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express trains, however, it was made optional in 2017 and passengers were asked to choose whether they wanted to include meals in their tickets. Later during the Covid-19 pandemic, all catering services were suspended to avoid any spread of the virus.