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Railways lose 1.27 crore AC linen items in four years
Firstpost··13 Jul
Indian Railways lost more than 1.27 crore linen items from AC coaches between January 2022 and May 2026, worth over Rs 104 crore, Firstpost reported citing an Indian Express RTI investigation across 69 railway divisions. Face towels led the missing counts, followed by bedsheets, pillow covers, blankets and pillows after complimentary bedroll services fully resumed post-pandemic.
Prism
What It Means For You
- AC passengers' complimentary bedrolls are a frequent theft target.
- Contract attendants may face pay cuts when linen goes missing.
- Taxpayers absorb large cumulative losses on public railway property.
What's Happening
- RTI data show 1.27 crore AC linen items missing over four years.
- Estimated losses exceed Rs 104 crore across responding divisions.
- Theft cases rose about 56 per cent between 2022 and 2025.
Service Context
- Bedroll services cover about 8 lakh AC passengers nightly.
- Smaller items such as face towels are most commonly taken.
- RPF says theft of railway property is a punishable offence.
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