Bengaluru: Hygiene and cleanliness is surely not the strong point of the Indian Railways and keeping in sync with this notion came an admission by Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha in the Rajya Sabha on blankets in trains being washed only once every two months.
This has surely left the regular train travelers nauseating.
However, the take of the Railways officials is quite different. They say that the blankets used by the Railways has a lifespan of mere four years and hence, it cannot be washed everyday.
“Blankets are washed once every month in line with the guidelines laid down by the Railway Board,” officials assert.
Divisional Railway Manager Sanjiv Agarwal speaking to The New Indian Express has clarified that a linen bedsheet is always provided with the blanket.
“Passengers drape themselves in the bedsheet and place the blanket on top of it.” This ensures they are only in contact with the daily washed sheet, he added.