Caterers fleecing railway passengers

Despite all the promises made in the Rail Budget every year about improved services, passengers travelling by rail complain that railway catering contractors are overcharging for the food served on trains. Railway officials don’t seem concerned about this loot of passengers either.

The Indian Railway authorities issued standard menu cards in 2012 and revised the charges in 2013 for all items from tea to meals. As per the standard menu, 170 ml of standard tea in a disposable cup should be sold at `5 at both railway canteens and on trains. The same amount of tea-bag tea or instant coffee (150 ml) using coffee powder and a disposable cup should be sold at `7. But no railway contractor, or even hawker, sells tea or coffee at this price.

G. Satyanarayana Reddy, a regular passenger from Lingampally, said that tea at railway canteens and on trains, costs passengers `10. “As per the standard menu card, the caterers should serve vegetarian meals at `45 at canteens and `50 in trains. But caterers are selling it at `50 at canteens and up to `90 in trains. They don’t provide any valid bill to the passengers. They sell bottled water at `20 against the MRP (maximum retail price) of `15,” he said.

P. Ramu from Bollaram says, “The food at railway stations is always of poor standard and not hygienic. Eating at railway canteens is like purchasing diseases. As per the menu card, a non-vegetarian casserole meal is available at `50, but the contractors and hawkers charge `110 to `120. If we question them, they gather their staff and dare to attack passengers! Even railway police support them.”

Officials of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) say the contractors don’t come under their jurisdiction. Officials from the commercial wing of the South Central Railway (SCR) claim that they are monitoring frauds and booking cases.