Jan 6, 2016, MUMBAI: Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation to reply to a public interest litigation challenging the sale of only Rail Neer packaged drinking water at stations and on trains.
A division bench of Justice Naresh Patil and Justice M S Sonak heard the PIL filed by Lopesh Vora, a regular commuter, urging direction to the Railways and its subsidiary , IRCTC, to provide packaged drinking water of other brands also.
Vora's advocates Rui Rodrigues and Abhishek Tripathi argued that it is "a consumer's right of choice to drinking water" under Article 21 (Right to Equality) of the Constitution. They pointed out that there is an issue of quantity as well as quality. They explained that only 1 litre bottles are being sold instead of 500 ml. Also, tests done by an independent laboratory in Gujarat:showed the water is "sub-standard " and did not conform to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India norms.
IRCTC's advocate Usha Srivastava said the decision to keep only keep one brand of packaged water was because Rail Neer " was not being lifted " and it resulted in a huge loss. She said currently it is available in four zones having bottling plants and not at all places. " We are not preventing people from carrying their own water as done on planes," she added.
A division bench of Justice Naresh Patil and Justice M S Sonak heard the PIL filed by Lopesh Vora, a regular commuter, urging direction to the Railways and its subsidiary , IRCTC, to provide packaged drinking water of other brands also.
Vora's advocates Rui Rodrigues and Abhishek Tripathi argued that it is "a consumer's right of choice to drinking water" under Article 21 (Right to Equality) of the Constitution. They pointed out that there is an issue of quantity as well as quality. They explained that only 1 litre bottles are being sold instead of 500 ml. Also, tests done by an independent laboratory in Gujarat:showed the water is "sub-standard " and did not conform to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India norms.
IRCTC's advocate Usha Srivastava said the decision to keep only keep one brand of packaged water was because Rail Neer " was not being lifted " and it resulted in a huge loss. She said currently it is available in four zones having bottling plants and not at all places. " We are not preventing people from carrying their own water as done on planes," she added.
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