IRCTC upgrades food policy after getting flak from CAG
TRAVEL TIME New decision states kitchens would be set up through public-private partnership
The Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) has formed a new catering policy by providing separate policies for food preparation and its distribution on long distance trains. This comes a day after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) released a report stating that the food served by India Railways was ‘unfit for human consumption’.
The CAG report found unpurified tap water used to make beverages, uncovered waste bins and cockroaches at catering units in trains and stations.
On Saturday, the Ministry of Railways took to Twitter and provided details of its New Catering Policy which was issued on February 2017. This new catering policy was formed in order to provide quality food for railway passengers travelling in long-distance trains.
The new policy stated that, IRCTC would manage catering service on all mobile units. The pantry car contracts would be awarded to IRCTC, which was otherwise handled by Zonal Railways.
The new policy also brought changes in the concept of ‘train side vending’ where a license staff would board the train to take order and convey the same to the kitchen. The staffer would pick the food as per order for station and services.
“There was a problem of co-ordination and distribution of food. This problem was faced when this scheme was implemented by Zonal Railway,” stated the policy.
The Zonal Railway would hand over the kitchen structures, land and space to IRCTC for a period of 10 years and this would be extended for a further period of five years on a token free license. “The IRCTC would be responsible for managing the food plaza, food courts, fast food units under this policy,” said a railway official.
The new policy also stated that new base kitchens would be set up through Public Private Partnership. International consultants like ‘Price Water House Coopers’ have been engaged to develop the agreement document for base kitchens and services on-board longdistance trains.