Now Reading: Railways fines caterers Rs 5.13 crore, scraps 6 contracts
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Railways fines caterers Rs 5.13 crore, scraps 6 contracts
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…
The Story in Brief
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.
The Indian Opinion
The tiny complaint rate of 0.0008 per cent could either reassure passengers or suggest that many problems go unreported. The real test, however, is whether penal actions like contract terminations and fines actually lead to lasting improvement, or remain one-off responses to parliamentary questions. Passengers scanning those QR codes may soon decide the truth for themselves.
Sources (2): assamtribune.com, thehindubusinessline.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
