# Railways fines caterers Rs 5.13 crore, scraps 6 contracts 2026-08-07T21:35:39+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Indian Railways has imposed penalties totalling Rs 5.13 crore on caterers and terminated six contracts over food quality and hygiene violations in the last three years, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told the Rajya Sabha. The action also includes 54 show-cause notices and debarment of several licensees. The list of debarred licensees is published on the IRCTC website. Railways serves about 58 crore meals annually, with food-related complaints for only 0.0008 per cent of meals served. To improve safety, Railways has introduced QR codes on meal packets, installed CCTV in base kitchens, and deployed Food Safety Supervisors. Regular inspections by railway officials and third-party audits continue. ## Coverage - assamtribune.com - thehindubusinessline.com Tags: Ashwini Vaishnaw, catering contracts, food safety, Indian Railways, IRCTC, penalties Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/railways-fines-caterers-rs-5-13-crore-cancels-6-contracts/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/railways-fines-caterers-rs-5-13-crore-cancels-6-contracts/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.