Appetising food stalls at City rly stations

The bright green and yellow painted stalls selling food items along with hot and cold beverages will be a common sight at the railway stations and is part of the Railways’ plan last year to take over the the supply of food from Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC).

The quality of food served at the railway stations and on trains had been a pet peeve of passengers. Bad quality of food has often turned a long journey into a veritable nightmare as passengers are forced to consume whatever supplied. But all that is set to change across country as the Railways is gradually taking over the catering services from the IRCTC.

Following repeated complaints, the Ministry of Railways in 2010 had decided to take over the food supply at all levels - food stalls, food courts, pantry cars and base kitchens. A senior official of the South Western Railways said that people were willing to pay more but what they got in return was poor quality food.

“They expressed their helplessness, since they had to be dependent on the caterer doing such a poor job of supplying food,” the officer remarked.

The Railways will not terminate contracts, but will take over as and when the contracts of IRCTC sub-contractors conclude. Now the decision to hand over the catering services will rest on the local division of a particular zone.

While overall aspects like specifications will be overseen by the zonal heads, the nittygritty of inviting tenders and choosing vendors will rest entirely on the local divisions. The take over is still underway and is expected to be completed in a few months.