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Lalu's `kulhad': A flop show in Bihar?

Plastic glasses are rampant at stations

PATNA: The Railway Minister Lalu Prasad's much-hyped campaign for use of ``kulhad'' (earthen pot) in the railways seems to have flopped in his own backyard -- East Central Railway (ECR) in Bihar where plastic glasses are rampant at stations.

A visit to railway stations in Patna, Hajipur, Darbhanga, Chapra, Madhepura, Muzaffarpur, Gaya and many other places revealed that vendors were using `kulhads' only as a ``show piece'', but selling tea either in glass or plastic tumblers.

Admitting lapses at some places, general manager of the ECR J P Batra said more focused efforts were needed to popularise `kulhads' in the railway.

He told PTI while the licensed vendors more or less stuck to `kulhads' unauthorised vendors were main defaulters.

Divisional Railway Managar (DRM) Danapur B A K Mittal said relevant railway laws recommend a fine ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 500 to any licensed vendor selling tea in containers other than the `kulhads.'

Mittal said many vendors have been fined at different places in the division in the past for not using `kulhads'.

Kulhads were seen at all the licensed vendors' stall at the Patna junction. But, at many stalls, the vendors were found keeping glass or Chinawares alongside the kulhads. While `kulhads' were visible at Patna junction, often visited by the Minister, due to pressure of senior railway officials who do not want to attract Yadav's wrath, the scenario is different elsewhere.

At many railway stations in Patna district itself like Patna Sahib, Barh, Mokama etc. kulhads were either in very little use or none at all.

Notwithstanding the claims of Batra and other officials, even pantry staff are using plastic glasses. Use of `kulhads' was minimum at the Chapra station which falls in Prasad's Lok Sabha constituency.

The vendors are very clever here. They put a few `kulhads' on their stalls on a tip off about visit of the minister or any senior railway officials but, on other occasions, there is nobody to care for these things, a railway official said.

Sudhir Kumar, a vendor at Chapra station, said ``it's (kulhad) a `jhanjhat' (problem).''

It was no better at railway stations in Madhepura, Darbhanga, Samastipur, Hajipur, the headuarters of ECR, Muzaffarpur and other places.

Arjun Kumar, a vendor at Madhepura station, said selling tea in kulhad costs more. While tea in plastic glass sells at Rs two, those in `kulhads' cost one rupees more, much to the dislike of customers.

Shayamdeo Shah, a vendor at Samastipur station, said many customers do not want to have tea in `kulhad' on hygiene grounds.

Many gentlemen hate drinking tea in `kulhads' out of prestige and insist on glass, Diwakar, another vendor at Hajipur, said. - PTI

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