The Hindu (Mangalore)

A ordable meal scheme now at seven railway stations in State

- Anil Kumar Sastry

With trains running packed to the brim during the summer holidays coupled with the Lok Sabha poll-induced travel, the Indian Railways has come up with an initiative to satiate the hunger of the common traveller by arranging a‰ordable food on station platforms.

The erstwhile Janata Meal — that was available at a‰ordable prices at catering stalls in stations — has now been brought onto platform counters with some more additions with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporatio­n (IRCTC) arranging the food supply. Realising the challenges faced by passengers travelling unreserved coaches in getting hygienic and a‰ordable food, the Railways has introduced the economy meal scheme.

Meal counters are convenient­ly located on platforms where the general second class coaches arrive while over 150 such counters in nearly 100 stations across the Indian Railway network are already operationa­l. In South India, the Southern Railway has arranged opening of over 34 such counters while the South Western Railway has opened •ve counters to begin with. The numbers will go on increasing as the days come, said the Zones.

The economy meals are made available at seven stations in Karnataka at present: Mangaluru Central and Mangaluru Junction under Southern Railway and KSR Bengaluru, Yeshwantpu­r, Mysuru, Vi

Janata Dal (S) leader and former Minister H.D. Revanna and his son Prajwal Revanna, MP for Hassan, were booked for sexual harassment and criminal intimidati­on by the Holenarsip­ur Town Police on Sunday.

This FIR has now been referred to the Special Investigat­ion Team (SIT), led by B. K. Singh, Additional Director-General of Police, Criminal Investigat­ion Department, formed to probe the alleged sex scandal of Mr. Prajwal Revanna. The SIT has been tasked with probing allegation­s of sexual abuse of many women by Mr. Prajwal Revanna, whose explicit videos have been doing the rounds.

Complaint by woman

The case was registered jayapura and Ballari under SWR.

As usual, the

Khana comprising

Janata seven

Prajwal Revanna, H.D. Revanna

based on a complaint by a woman, a relative of Bhavani Revanna, Mr. Revanna’s wife, and who worked in the household for threeand-a-half years from 2019, when she su‰ered the alleged harassment.

The father-son duo has been booked under Sections of 354(A), 354(D), 509 for sexual harassment and section 506 for criminal intimidati­on, of the IPC.

Signi•cantly, the FIR lists not only the complainan­t but others as well as victims in the case.

The complainan­t alleged that Mr. Revanna, the accused, whenever his wife pooris (175 gm) and bhaji (150 gm) is available for Ÿ20, so is the rice-based economy meal (200 gm curd rice/ lemon rice/ tamarind rice).

In addition, the Railways has made available snack meals (350 gm assortment of South Indian rice varieties) at Ÿ50. Sealed water glass of 200 ml is also available for Ÿ3 at these counters.

SWR’s Chief PRO Manjunath Kanamadi told The Hindu that all major stations in the zone will get economy meal counters.

More people on trains

Southern Railway’s CPRO M. Senthamil Selvan told The Hindu that normally more people travel during the summer and the election season has only added to the numbers.

“The Janata Meal scheme that was available at catering stalls is now brought on platform counters to help passengers get food with ease,” he said.

At present, •ve stations in Chennai Division, three in Tiruchchir­apalli, four in Salem, two in Madurai, nine in Palakkad and 11 in Thiruvanan­thapuram Divisions have the facility. The Zone has told Divisional Railway Managers to increase the numbers in consultati­on with IRCTC, he said. The passenger response is encouragin­g as the food items get exhausted fast, Mr. Selvan said.

 ?? ANI ?? Internatio­nal runners participat­ing in the TCS World 10K Bengaluru marathon on Sunday.
ANI Internatio­nal runners participat­ing in the TCS World 10K Bengaluru marathon on Sunday.
 ?? H.S. MANJUNATH ?? Realising the challenges faced by passengers travelling in unreserved coaches in getting hygienic and aŽordable food, the Indian Railways has introduced the economy meal scheme.
H.S. MANJUNATH Realising the challenges faced by passengers travelling in unreserved coaches in getting hygienic and aŽordable food, the Indian Railways has introduced the economy meal scheme.

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