Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation [IRCTC] — complaint: wztt06/uttarakhand chardham yatra ac tourist train from 3/6/19 to 16/6/19

Address:

411027

Dear sir/madam,

Three o[censored]s ladies (Copied on this email) were booked on the
Wztt06/uttarakhand chardham yatra ac tourist train from 3/6/19 to 16/6/19. We have major concerns with how the tour was managed by irctc/tmi and hence this mail. https://www.irctctourism.com/pacakage_description?packageCode=WZTT06

From day one, our concern started. First hick-up was lack of
Communication. We received information on our coach and seat number.
But we were not told the train number or which platform it will be
Arrived. We were not given any contact details to get in touch to get
Such information when we reached station. So we ended up running from
Pillar to post to find this information.

During one and half days travel to hardwar, we faced two major
Challenges - cleanliness/water provision and food
Quality/arrangements. Only one place (Kota) train did water filling.
Which was emptied by the same night and rest of the way we ended up
Having clogged and stinking washrooms and were unable to use them.
During travel of 1.5 day from pune to haridwar, only once cleaning
Person came for sweeping and mopping. They came twice for collecting
Garbage. We found our coach and clogged washroom as it is once were
Back in train after 10 days. This was the level of cleanliness and
Hygiene maintained.

Second issue was how the food distribution was arranged. Tea/coffee
Servers where just passing by without really bothering to serve them
To all. If you are lucky to catch one, you will get to drink it. Then
Came lunch arrangement. 30 seat capacitor dining hall was used to
Serve 235 passengers. The way we had to wait in queue outside dining
Hall because coach manager was sloppy in communication and the way we had to fast forward eating so that we can make space for others was
Too humiliating.

Then came the bus issue once we reached hardwar. We were promised a/c bus, but driver declined to start a/c as they were not informed about
It. After three hours delays and mental harassment due to arguments
With driver and tmi "managers", we finally were given a/c bus. Again,
The next issue is how the bus was filled till the last seat. Char dham
Yatra is generally done by 50+ aged people. Still bus was filled till
The last seat which resulted in 5 people sitting in the last seat.
Imagine old people of your parents age, travelling in last seat, on
Ghat roads, which are narrow and full of potholes. Do you really make
Your parents travel like that? Then why this was not considered for
Aged passengers doing yatra through irctc?

Next issue is of food quality. We were given such bad quality food -
Half cooked/over cooked, thickest chapati possible, burnt chapati,
Left over dessert from previous night, fried things in breakfast (Who
Eats fried onion bhajji in breakfast at 6am?). No thought process
Given in food menu or quality. We all ended up having stomach issues
By the 5-6 days of the trip which lasted till end.

Next issue was accommodation. You name the issues and we have it. Tmi management was so lethargic that they didn't plan the accommodation in advance. Rather the did it the previous day. Because of that we ended up getting worst accommodation possible though we were promised a/c accommodation in the itinerary. We were struggling to get the basic necessity at the place like clean bed sheets, clean blanket, hot water, dust-free bed, curtains, zero cockroaches, clean toilette. But we didn't get all of them at any place (Except for one location). It was such nightmarish experience that i have not enough words to explain it.

Next issue was management. Tmi/irctc managers - mr. Alok parma, mr. Ajay sharma, mr. R. N. Singh, mr. Sumit suman (I am not 100% sure if
These are correct names as they didn't have any id with them). These
People are not fit for management. They were rude, careless and were
There just for the name sake. They showcased as if they heard our
Problems, but none of them were capable to resolve even a single of
The issues. Our pleas ended on the deaf ear and we all suffered
Through the trip.

Next issue is itinerary. Since after gangotri, itinerary was changed.
No reason given for the change. We were just told that this is what it
Is, take it or leave it. So we ended up having bad accommodations at
Wrong places and additional journey as they decided to change the
Places which were too far from our destination. It was such a hectic
And harassing experience that i would not recommend to any of my
Family members to do this yatra by irctc.

This is all i have to explain in terms of the issues we faced. I can
Not explain the pain that i felt when all my imagination of a yatra
Which should have been a memorable trip for me till the end of my life
Had turned into such a nightmarish experience that i could not enjoy
It fully.

I request to look into this issue and ensure that these are not repeated. I also expect to be compensated by irctc for putting me through this mental agony which ideally should have been a pleasant yatra.