Indian Railways has doubled the maximum penalty for activities affecting cleanliness at railway stations, trains and other railway premises, with offenders now liable to pay up to Rs 1,000, reported Indian Express.
The revised penalty is aimed at strengthening cleanliness standards and discouraging passengers and others from littering or engaging in activities prohibited on railway property.
The Ministry of Railways notified the changes through a gazette notification dated August 24, introducing amendments to the Indian Railways (Penalties for Activities Affecting Cleanliness at Railway Premises) Rules, 2012.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (g) of sub-section (2) and subsection (3) of section 60 of the Railways Act, 1989 (24 of 1989), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules, to amend the Indian Railways (Penalties for activities affecting cleanliness at railway premises) Rules, 2012, namely:-
Short title and Commencement. –
These rules may be called the Indian Railways (Penalties for activities affecting cleanliness at railway premises) Amendment Rules, 2026.
They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.”
Rs 1,000 penalty for cleanliness violations
Under the amended rules, the penalty has been raised from the earlier maximum of Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 for violations of cleanliness rules on railway premises.
The notification also provides for further legal action if the penalty is not paid. In such cases, the person can be produced before a competent court, which may impose a fine of up to Rs 2,000.
“In the Indian Railways (Penalties for Activities Affecting Cleanliness at Railway Premises) Rules, 2012, in rule 4, for the words “punished with a fine which shall not exceed five hundred rupees”, the words “liable to penalty of one thousand rupees, and in the event of non-payment of the penalty, the person so failing shall be produced before a competent court having jurisdiction which may impose a fine which may extend to two thousand rupees” shall be substituted.”
Which activities can attract the Rs 1,000 penalty?
The cleanliness rules prohibit people from throwing or leaving waste at railway stations, elsewhere on railway premises or inside train coaches, except at designated locations.
The restrictions also cover several other activities that can affect hygiene or cleanliness. These include cooking, bathing, spitting, urinating, defecating, feeding animals or birds, washing vehicles, utensils or clothes, and storing articles on railway premises where facilities have not been specifically provided for such purposes.
Passengers and other people are also prohibited from putting up posters or writing and drawing on railway coaches or other railway property without authorisation. Activities that damage or deface railway property are similarly prohibited.
Rules also apply to authorised vendors and hawkers
The cleanliness requirements extend to authorised vendors and hawkers operating on railway premises. They are required to keep dustbins or suitable waste containers for collecting litter and ensure that the waste is disposed of properly.
The rules are intended to cover activities that contribute to littering, unhygienic conditions or damage to railway property, with the revised penalty increasing the financial consequence for violations.
Who can collect the penalty?
The 2012 rules identify specific railway officials who can impose and collect penalties for violations covered under the cleanliness provisions.
These include Station Masters or Station Managers, Ticket Collectors from the Commercial Department and officials of equivalent rank in the Operating Department. Other officials authorised by the Railway Administration to enforce the rules can also collect the penalty.
With the amended rules now in force from their publication in the Official Gazette, railway authorities can impose the revised Rs 1,000 penalty for applicable cleanliness violations on railway premises.