The Hindu : New Delhi News : Reader's Mail

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 13, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

Reader's Mail

Railways' ways

Way back on January 1, 1977, Northern Railway introduced an identity card system for regular passengers. The purpose of the cards (costing Re. 1 each plus the photo of the Monthly Season Ticket holder) was to identify the bona fides of the MST holder. This card is duly attested by the station authorities issuing the MSTs. But if a passenger wants to renew the MST from the other end of his journey, the renewal is refused by the staff. It has to be renewed from the very same station from which it was originally issued.

This makes no sense. And it leads to a lot of inconvenience for the passengers. In all fairness the card holder should be at liberty to get the MST renewed from either end of his journey.

On behalf of millions of railway passengers we request the authorities to get rid of this orthodox mode of working.

Will the Railway Board look into the matter urgently and do the needful at the earliest?

M. B. Dubey Bijnori,

Secretary, Dainik Yatri Sangh,

1/10459, Mohan Park,

Naveen Shahdara,

Delhi - 110 032.

Hello, ICICI....

Readers of this column have read about "ICICI's ways" (February 27), showing how ICICI Bank officers were reluctant to pay up after the closure of an account by one of their customers. I am suffering because of the way ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company works.

I had a promotional telephonic conversation on 20-12-2005 in which the following points were mentioned to me by ICICI Lombard:

"You are among the three all-India lucky draw winners and we are offering you as a privileged customer a life insurance policy.

"All you have to pay is Rs. 6,000 and no other amount and the policy will be valid up to the age of 70 years. The amount covered is Rs. 20 lakhs.

"The conversation between you and us is being recorded at our Mumbai office.

"You will receive the documents in 21 days by post."

I enquired whether I would have to pay any additional amount other than this Rs. 6,000, to which they replied that it includes all taxes and other charges and that I would have to pay this amount only once. Further, it was decided that the amount would be paid in 12 EMIs on my ICICI Big Bazaar Credit Card.

Subsequently I received a letter from ICICI Lombard (Ref No. IL/397757 dated 03-02-2006) along with the above mentioned policy. Its expiry date: 18-12-2006!

The matter was reported to their call centre on 17-02-2006 (Complaint No. 651839). During the telecom, it was stated by the call centre executive that the policy is valid only for one year and that I would have to get it renewed every year!

Thus the terms and conditions of the policy are contrary to the terms and conditions intimated to me during the telephonic conversation on 20-12-2005.

I have now requested for the following:

1. To speak to the person with whom I had the telephonic chat (of which none of their call centre executives has any information).

2. To listen to the recording of that conversation as proof wherein the terms and conditions of the policy were decided.

Moreover, I instructed them not to deduct any amount from my credit card till the settlement of this matter.

Further, I added, if the condition was to pay Rs. 6,000 annually, they should cancel the policy with immediate effect and refund the EMIs already debited through my credit card.

I have tried several times since then to contact their Gurgaon office, registered a complaint on the net, but nobody is ready to speak. Moreover, they keep deducting the EMI amount. I have tried to block the auto-credit facility, but ICICI says, "Since this is EMI, we can't cancel it."

It means they are neither going to speak with me nor cancel my policy, and just keep charging me on my credit card! Just how do I get relief now?

Manuji Chaubey

Engineer, Contract Services, Corporate Office,

Power Grid Corporation of India Limited,

Gurgaon.

Save Paharganj

Paharganj is an important commercial area next door to New Delhi railway station. The place is also a popular haven for thousands of low-budget foreign tourists day in and day out. Civic amenities in the area are, however, far from satisfactory.

The main thoroughfare passing through Nehru Bazar is in a state of utter disrepair with countless potholes and broken patches. Movement along the road is one long nightmare for pedestrians as well as motorists. Lack of hygiene and cleanliness is another area of grave concern crying out for immediate attention of the civic authorities.

Considering that India right now is being promoted as a favoured tourist destination, it is high time we improved the civic amenities for the low-budget tourists to Delhi for whom Paharganj is a popular refuge all the year round.

A.K. Lal,

D-819, Mandir Marg,

New Delhi - 110 001.

Postal delays

I applied for transfer of my NSS Account No.10019 from N.F.L. Vijaipur, District Guna, Madhya Pradesh-473111, to Bhatinda (Punjab) Main Post Office in October 2005. As per Sub-Post Master of NFL Vijaipur, he sent the advice for transfer to Guna (M.P.) Main Post Office on October 3 for forwarding to Bhatinda Main Post Office.

On enquiry from Guna Post Office, the reply was that they had sent the transfer advice to Bhatinda Main Post Office on January 16, 2006. On enquiry from Bhatinda Main Post Office, the reply was that they had not received the transfer advice till date. Five months have passed but my account has not been transferred from Madhya Pradesh to Punjab. Daily enquiries from the Guna and Bhatinda post offices are of no use. I look forward to some action now.

Anil Kumar Gupta,

C-10, N.F.L. Township,

Bhatinda (Punjab).

Unforgettable

Caroline Howard, a gap year student from Lancaster Girls' Grammar School, UK, who was at Vidya Devi Jindal School here in Hisar for two months left this past week, leaving behind a memorabilia of learning, sharing and mingling hearts. During her stay here, she rendered the staff and students a storehouse of knowledge and information on key concepts in teaching, dramatics, debating, etc.

As she bade adieu, she swayed the audience, playing the star to the magical tune of "Raghupati Raghav....". She went back more learned and equipped with skills in Home Science, Sculpture, Art and a lot more.

In her farewell address she thanked VDJS for the hospitality and cooperation she received here and expressed her desire to come back in future. We wish her all the best for the future.

Nishi Misra,

Principal,

Vidya Devi Jindal School,

Delhi Road,

Hisar (Haryana).

(Letters for this column may be sent by e-mail to wsins@thehindu.co.in. They must carry the full postal address of the writer and should be marked "Reader's Mail".)

Secretary, Dainik Yatri Sangh,

1/10459, Mohan Park,

Naveen Shahdara,

Delhi - 110 032.

Hello, ICICI....

I had a promotional telephonic conversation on 20-12-2005 in which the following points were mentioned to me by ICICI Lombard:

"You are among the three all-India lucky draw winners and we are offering you as a privileged customer a life insurance policy.

"All you have to pay is Rs. 6,000 and no other amount and the policy will be valid up to the age of 70 years. The amount covered is Rs. 20 lakhs.

"The conversation between you and us is being recorded at our Mumbai office.

"You will receive the documents in 21 days by post."

Subsequently I received a letter from ICICI Lombard (Ref No. IL/397757 dated 03-02-2006) along with the above mentioned policy. Its expiry date: 18-12-2006!

Thus the terms and conditions of the policy are contrary to the terms and conditions intimated to me during the telephonic conversation on 20-12-2005.

I have now requested for the following:

1. To speak to the person with whom I had the telephonic chat (of which none of their call centre executives has any information).

2. To listen to the recording of that conversation as proof wherein the terms and conditions of the policy were decided.

Moreover, I instructed them not to deduct any amount from my credit card till the settlement of this matter.

Further, I added, if the condition was to pay Rs. 6,000 annually, they should cancel the policy with immediate effect and refund the EMIs already debited through my credit card.

It means they are neither going to speak with me nor cancel my policy, and just keep charging me on my credit card! Just how do I get relief now?

Manuji Chaubey

Engineer, Contract Services, Corporate Office,

Power Grid Corporation of India Limited,

Gurgaon.

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