Vindication is more than a compensation

There is a popular theory that sample surveys about unemployment are bound to be inaccurate as only the jobless have the time or the inclination to answer questions. A similar truism could be contemplated about those who fight long procedural and legal battles that end in insignificant pecuniary compensation but immense personal satisfaction. After all, it takes a lot of time and perseverance (and Rs 6,000) to legally wring a Rs 35 service charge refund out of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) for a ticket bought just before the GST roll out in 2017 but cancelled just after. It’s not surprising that it took two years for a Rajasthan-based engineer to cross fairly normal hurdles — including his Right to Information (RTI) applications getting bounced to 10 government departments — to get his money back. But why did the Railways still deduct Rs 2 and refund him only Rs 33?

Clearly, bureaucrats are underworked or secretly enjoy fielding RTIs from him as their parsimony has inevitably triggered another barrage of queries for withholding Rs 2. An earlier RTI by him had revealed that over nine lakh other passengers also booked tickets before GST kicked in, cancelled them between July 1 and 11, 2017, and were unfairly charged a total service tax of Rs 3.34 crore. The IRCTC better brace for more reclaim clamour.