JOIN USRailways allows sale of cooked food at catering, vending units on platforms as takeaway
Indian Railways has allowed the sale of cooked food at its catering and vending units on platforms and stations as takeaways.
"Zones are advised that static catering units (food plazas, fast food unit, Jan Ahars, cell kitchens, and refreshment rooms) which are operational at 10 per cent of license fee with limited saleable items up till September 30 may be allowed to operate till October 31 at pro-rata LF of 20 per cent of license fee with the sale of cooked food as takeaway only," Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), said in its order.
The order by IRCTC also barred dine-ins at food courts, plazas on the stations.
Earlier, railways allowed the catering vending units to sell only packaged food due to Covid-19. For the first time since the coronavirus outbreak, the railways allowed to sell cooked food as takeaways.
The latest order will help passengers during the festive season. The Railways is planning to operate 200 more special trains between October 15 and November 30 to cater to passengers during the festive rush.
The Railways also said that contracts that have expired after March 23 may also be allowed to operate up to October 31 on payment of a license fee of 20%.
Though earlier the railways asked vendors to open all stalls at platforms and station premises, not many vendors had opened their units because of low footfall and restrictions on items they could sell.
Vendors associations had written to the Railways stating that they were not ready to begin services on platforms due to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis and urged officials not to pressure them into opening the stalls
Stalls on platforms have been shut throughout the novel coronavirus-induced lockdown, which was imposed on March 24 to check the spread of the infection.