Govt unveils new catering policy in railways, shuts door for RK Associates

According to new policy, IRCTC will be held responsible for procuring, cooking, servicing and delivery of foods to travelling passengers

NEW DELHI: In a bid to enhance food quality in trains, Ministry of Railways on Monday announced its new Catering Policy 2017 that has shut the doors of railways for RK Associates. The new policy states that catering business will be fully under the IRCTC and no fresh license will be issued to any vendor or contractor for providing a meal.

According to the new policy, the conventional catering practice in which awarded licensee was responsible for procuring, cooking, servicing and delivery of foods to travelling passengers in the mail and express trains has been taken off. Instead, IRCTC will be held responsible for these functions. And, passengers' grievances will be immediately addressed to by officials as the policy has mandated travelling of a midlevel IRCTC officer of IRCTC.

“Now, the officials will be penalised for delivering substandard meals,” a railway official said. This plan will end the dominance of RK Associates which had a monopoly on Railways' catering business for decades as all existing contracts would be automatically terminated on completion of tenure of the agreement in a phased manner.

The new policy has more to offer. The passengers need to pay a nominal amount of Rs seven for a cup of tea/coffee, Rs 50 for a vegetarian meal and Rs 55 for non-vegetarian. “To enhance food quality, IRCTC has set up new kitchens along with the renovation of existing ones. It will be held responsible for catering services through mobile catering units, base kitchens, cell kitchens, refreshment rooms at A1 & A category of stations, food plazas, food courts, train side vending, jan ahaars,” mentions the new policy.

Also, other units like refreshment rooms at B and below the category of stations, AVMS, milk stalls, trolleys is to be managed by zonal railways. “IRCTC may empanel selfhelp groups for catering services but it cannot outsource or issue licenses for the provision of such services,” added the new policy list.