Ludhiana, Jan. 3 -- Northern Railway has imposed a penalty of Rs.60,000 on the pay-and-use toilet contractor at Ludhiana railway station after repeated complaints about illegal charges and unhygienic conditions exposed serious lapses at one of the region's busiest stations. The action follows three passenger complaints lodged via Rail Madad portal on November 26, December 9, and December 12, which highlighted that the contractor was charging Rs.5 even for urinals, in violation of the Railway Board guidelines, while maintaining filthy facilities. According to an official letter issued by the Northern Railway, Ferozepur Cantt, an inquiry conducted by the Ferozepur division confirmed the violations. The contractor had violated Para 20(c) of the policy guidelines, it said. The senior divisional commercial manager imposed escalating fines of Rs.10,000 for the first violation, Rs.20,000 for the second and Rs.30,000 for the third. Officials warned that any further breaches could lead to contract cancellation and forfeiture of security money. The contractor has been asked to deposit the penalty within 15 days through the Indian Railways e-procurement system (IREPS). The penalties were imposed under Para 19.1 of FMC 11 (2022), which governs financial action for service lapses by facility management contractors. A railway official noted that the repeated violations reflect a disregard for contractual terms and passenger welfare, making escalated penalties necessary to enforce compliance. Senior railway officials have been directed to monitor the contractor's operations daily. Station Superintendent, deputy station superintendents and commercial inspectors are responsible for ensuring compliance, while the contractor's staff will be formally counselled to prevent recurrence. Deputy station superintendent (commercial) Sunil Sharma said, "There are only three functional toilets for a passenger footfall of 50,000-60,000 at Ludhiana station, making hygiene a challenge. However, we will ensure rules are followed.If the contractor continues to violate norms despite this action, termination of the contract will be considered."...