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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