Thursday, 25 February 2016

Railway Budget Emphasizes Quality Food, Catering Services

Realizing catering an integral parameter for customer satisfaction, the Indian Government has introduced a slew of measures in its Railway Budget 2016-17 to achieve quality food and catering services.

Indian Railways, which operates world's largest railway network comprising 115,000 km of track over a route of 65,808 km and 7,112 stations and carrying over 23 million passengers daily, will provide quality food to its customers, said Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu while presenting the budget.

 As part of the measures, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), a subsidiary of the Indian Railways, would begin to manage catering services in a phased manner. It would unbundle catering services by creating a distinction primarily between food preparation and food distribution.

The government is also planning to extend e-catering services from existing 45 large stations to all 408 ‘A-1’ and ‘A’ class stations, the minister said.

The Railway is also exploring the possibility of making mandatory catering services optional in trains, while local cuisine of choice will be made available to passengers, he further stated.

In order to ensure fresh and hygienic supply of foods on trains, the government is planning to add 10 more IRCTC operated, mechanized, sophisticated base kitchens in the rail network. It will also mandate third party audit in order to ensure desired level of quality in catering services.

 The Railways is also introducing a new policy of multi-purpose as against existing single purpose stalls at stations where each stall can provide multiple services required by passengers including milk products and OTC medicines.

 It is also exploring the feasibility of providing an option to the customers for drinking tea in kulhad (handle-less terracotta cup).




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