Lok Sabha Question No. 2959 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-11
Subject: Loss of Goods
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Sanjay Jaiswal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2959 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.03.2020

## LOSS OF GOODS

## 2959. DR. SANJAY JAISWAL:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Ministry is aware of the quantum of the monetary value of goods that are lost or stolen in the railway premises;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the  details  of  the  goods  present  with  the  railways  in  its  lost  and found  section,  zone-wise,  along  with  the  approximate  monetary worth;
- (d) the  percentage  of  these  goods  that  have  been  returned  to  their owners; and
- (e) the manner in which the railways deals with unclaimed property?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AND COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

- (a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a) TO (e) OF UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.2959  BY  DR.  SANJAY  JAISWAL  TO  BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 11.03.2020 REGARDING LOSS OF GOODS

(a) & (b): Policing on Railways being a State subject, prevention of crime, registration of cases, their investigation and maintenance of law & order in  Railway  premises  as  well  as  on  running  trains  are  the  statutory responsibility  of  the  State  Governments,  which  they  discharge  through Government  Railway  Police  (GRP)/District  Police.  However,  Railway Protection Force (RPF) supplements the efforts of GRP to provide better protection and security of passenger area & passengers and for matters connected therewith. Cases of Indian Penal Code (IPC) crimes including theft of passengers' belongings in trains & premises are registered and investigated  by  the  concerned  Government  Railway  Police.  Railways does not maintain any data on Indian Penal Code (IPC) crimes. Whenever any information about status of crime on Railways is sought, State GRP is  requested to provide the information. Based on the data provided by the Government Railway Police, during the year 2019, 37,189 cases have been registered for theft of passengers' belongings in railway premises for total value of ₹ 65.81 crores. 5,887 offenders have been arrested in this regard.

Railway  Protection  Force  (RPF)  has  been  mandated  for  security  of railway property besides security of passengers & passenger area as per RPF Act, 1957 as amendment in 2003. 207 cases have been registered for theft  of  consignments  booked  through  railway  during  the  year  2019, valued at ₹ 96 lakh. 434 offenders have been arrested in this regard.

(c):  Zone  wise  details  of  goods  (left  behind  and  unclaimed  parcels) present  with  the  Railways  in  Lost  Property  Office  are  appended  as Appendix-I.

(d):  In  the  last  three  years,  approximately  15%  of  the  goods  have  been returned to the owners from the Lost Property Office.

(e):  In  case of unclaimed property, action is taken as per Section 84 of the Indian Railways Act 1989 as given below:-

1. If any person fails to take delivery of-
- a. any consignment; or
- b. the  consignment  released  from  detention  made  under  subsection (1) of section 83; or
- c. any remaining part of the consignment under sub-section (2) of section 83, such consignment shall be treated as unclaimed.
2. The railway administration may, -
- a. in the case of an unclaimed consignment which is perishable in nature, sell such consignment in the manner provided in clause (a) of sub-section (2) of section 83; or
7. in the case of an unclaimed consignment which is not perishable in nature, cause a notice to be served upon the consignee if his name  and  address  are  known,  and  upon  the  consignor  if  the name and address of the consignee are not known, requiring him to  remove  the  goods  within  a  period  of  seven  days  from  the receipt thereof and if such notice cannot be served or there is a failure  to  comply  with  the  requisition  in  the  notice,  sell  such consignment in the manner provided in clause (b) of sub-section
- b. (2) of section 83.
3. The Railway administration shall, out of the sale proceeds received under sub-section (2),  retain  a  sum  equal  to  the  freight  and  other charges including expenses for the sale due to it and the surplus, if any, of such sale proceeds shall be rendered to the person entitled thereto.

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APPENDIX-I  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (c)  OF  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2959 BY DR. SANJAY JAISWAL TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 11.03.2020 REGARDING LOSS OF GOODS

(c):  Zone-wise  details  of  goods  (left  behind  and  unclaimed  parcels) present with the Railways in Lost Property Office are as under:-

|   S.No. | Railway            |   Details of Goods/Items present/lying in Lost and Found Section | Approx. Monetary Value of the Goods/Items ( in ₹ )   |
|---------|--------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|
|       1 | Central            |                                                              408 | 1,36,324/-                                           |
|       2 | Eastern            |                                                              192 | 8,324/-                                              |
|       3 | East Central       |                                                              121 | 74,695/-                                             |
|       4 | East Coast         |                                                                0 | 0                                                    |
|       5 | Northern           |                                                             2073 | 17,34,764/-                                          |
|       6 | North Central      |                                                              612 | 7,03,600/-                                           |
|       7 | North Eastern      |                                                              602 | 3,62,573/-                                           |
|       8 | Northeast Frontier |                                                              395 | 8,04,500/-                                           |
|       9 | North Western      |                                                              448 | 4,51,730/-                                           |
|      10 | Southern           |                                                              324 | 4,31,143/-                                           |
|      11 | South Central      |                                                               28 | 65,000/-                                             |
|      12 | South Western      |                                                               56 | 4,960/-                                              |
|      13 | South Eastern      |                                                                0 | 0                                                    |
|      14 | South East Central |                                                               19 | 95,900/-                                             |
|      15 | Western            |                                                             1396 | 4,01,311/-                                           |
|      16 | West Central       |                                                              109 | 16,320/-                                             |

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