IRCTC to pay around Rs 1.62 lakh as compensation to passengers for late running of Tejas Express
New Delhi, Oct 21: A delay of more than three hours in the running of Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express on October 19 has cost IRCTC around Rs 1.62 lakh which the railway subsidiary will pay through its insurance companies as compensation to around 950 passengers, a first in the history of Indian Railways, officials said on Monday.
The train started from Lucknow at around 9.55 am instead of its scheduled departure at 6.10 am and reached New Delhi at around 3.40 pm instead of 12.25 pm. It departed from New Delhi at around 5.30 pm instead of 3.35 pm and reached Lucknow at around 11.30pm instead of scheduled 10.05pm.
While from Lucknow to Delhi there were 450 passengers who will get Rs 250 as compensation each, from Delhi to Lucknow there were around 500 passengers who will be paid Rs 100 each, the official said.
One of the officials also said that each passenger can avail the compensation through a link of the insurer which has been provided with every ticket of the Tejas Express.
He also said that the delay on October 19 had been caused by a derailment near Kanpur.
Since it began commercial operations from October six for six days a week, the train has maintained a tight schedule. On October 20, the Lucknow-Delhi Tejas reached 24 minutes late while the Delhi-Lucknow Tejas arrived right on time.
Under IRCTC's policy, an amount of Rs 100 will be paid in case the delay is for over an hour and Rs 250 for delay of over two hours, the IRCTC said ahead of the launch of its first train.
This travel insurance also includes a cover of Rs 1 lakh against household theft and robbery during travel period of the passengers, again a first for those travelling on board trains.
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Bengaluru drug bust: 8 people arrested, total seizures valued at 27.42 cr
Bengaluru (PTI): Eight people, including a foreign national, were arrested for illegally selling drugs in the city, police said on Tuesday.
They seized drugs, vehicles and other items worth Rs 27.42 crores.
According to police, based on credible information received from informants on various dates, officers and staff learned that prohibited narcotic substances such as MDMA, Ganja, and Cocaine were being sold within the limits of Hebbagodi, Yelahanka New Town, Mico Layout, Parappana Agrahara, Bagalur, and Banaswadi Police Stations.
Acting on this information, cases were registered under the NDPS Act in the respective police stations, and raids were conducted at the locations identified by the informants.
"During these operations, a total of 8 accused persons were apprehended on different dates, including one foreign national, and four interstate offenders," Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh told reporters here.
Upon interrogation, the accused confessed that, with the intention of making quick money, they procured narcotic substances such as MDMA, Cocaine, and Ganja at lower prices from unknown foreign and local suppliers and sold them to the public, including college students, he said.
"A total of Rs 13.71 Crores worth drugs and other items have been seized. These include 12 kg 91 grams of MDMA, 275 grams of Cocaine, 34 kg 802 grams of Ganja, 40 grams of gold ornaments (purchased from proceeds of drug sales), 02 two-wheelers used for the offence. The total estimated market value of all these is Rs 27.42 Crores," he added.
The Commissioner further said efforts are on to trace the unknown individuals who supplied the narcotic substances to the accused.
Investigation is underway.
"There is information about the involvement of other foreign nationals, and through FRRO we learned one person has already left the country... interrogations and investigations will continue," he said.
All eight accused have been produced before the court on different dates and have been remanded to judicial custody, officials said.
Noting that in the case under the Electric City division, raids were conducted at five different houses and different quantities of drugs were seized, Singh said, "This is a serious matter as the house was taken for rent and they supplied from there. The information came from the arrest of the foreigner. Total value of seizure in Hebbagodi alone is Rs 27 crore (market value)."
