Chennai, August 20: The Southern Railway on Tuesday sent an SOS to the Ministry of Railways stating if Rs 22 Crore is not allotted by August-end, it would be forced to terminate onboard housekeeping services (OBHS), pest control and supply of linen contracts on all 110 long-distance trains. The Southern Railway sent the emergency message as it is facing an unprecedented cash crunch.

According to a report, published in The Hindu, Southern Railway is expecting to receive enough funds to pay pending bills to the tune of Rs 22 crore to the contractors. Along with this, it (Southern Railway) is also seeking funds to pay pending bills of Rs 130 crore to keep the amenities and housekeeping services on. Corporate Tax to be Cut From 30% to 25% For All Companies? Govt Panel Recommends 'Major Overhaul' Amid Economic Slowdown

Earlier on July 5, General Manager Rahul Jain had raised the issue with the Ministry of Railways; however, there was no response from Ministry. Facing the passenger complaints on dirty coaches, smelly toilets and non-supply of linen in air-conditioned compartments, Jain wrote to the Ministry and sought the release of funds.

The letter, Jain pointed out that “shortage of revenue funds for essential passenger amenity activities such as laundry/linen, OBHS and pest control has reached an alarming proportion". Earlier, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman sanctioned only Rs 108 crore under the head of contractual payments in the Union Budget 2019. Til March 31, 2019, pending bills reached to the tune of Rs 22 crore, in addition to bills worth Rs 40 crore were ready for submission.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 20, 2019 04:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).