Lok Sabha Question No. 383 (STARRED), answered on 2017-03-29
Subject: Sale of Food Items at Stations
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: ASHOK SHANKARRAO CHAVAN, SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.383 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.03.2017

## SALE OF FOOD ITEMS AT STATIONS

*383.  SHRI ASHOK SHANKARRAO CHAVAN: DR. SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD: Will the Minister of RAILWAYS  be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether the  Government is aware of steep rise in the cost of food items sold at the railway stations and in the trains after privatisation;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (c)  whether  the  private  caterers  are  also  unable  to  supply  hot  food during journey as they generally pick up food packets from earmarked stations as they lack kitchen and food warming facilities and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the corrective measures taken/being taken by the Government in this regard so as to make the system more customer friendly?

ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS (SHRI SURESH PRABHAKAR PRABHU)

- (a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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- STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF STARRED QUESTION  NO.  383  BY  SHRI  ASHOK  SHANKARRAO  CHAVAN  AND  DR. SUNIL  BALIRAM  GAIKWAD  TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON 29.03.2017 REGARDING SALE OF FOOD ITEMS AT STATIONS (a)  &  (b):  No,  Madam.  Food  sold  at  stations  and  in  trains  over  Indian Railways is affordable for common passengers. The Ministry of Railways undertakes revision of cost of food items sold on trains and at Railway Stations from time to time.   The prices of various food items are fixed through a system of authorised committee constituted by the Ministry of Railways and are revised periodically.  The menu and the tariff has been last  revised  in  2012  in  case  of  standard  menu  items  (tea/coffee/Janata Meal  etc.)  and  2013  in  case  of  menu  items  for  premium  trains  viz Rajdhani/Shatabdi/Duronto Express. For  the  next  revision  a  committee  has  been  constituted  under  the provision of new Catering Policy 2017 launched on 27 th  February, 2017. This  Committee has been mandated to lay down the modalities for the revision  of  tariff  so  as  to  ensure  affordability  of  food  besides  giving passengers value for money.  As per the policy menu and tariff of food items will be fixed as follows: (i) For controlled segment items/standard menu/Janta Meals on units handed  over  to  Indian  Railway  Catering  and  Tourism  Corporation (IRCTC),  the  menu  to  be  decided  by  IRCTC  in  consultation  with Zonal Railways within the fixed tariff approved by Railway Board. Menu  of  controlled  segment  items  including  regional  cuisine  on minor  static  catering  units  is  to  be  decided  by  Zonal  Railways
- (ii) within the fixed tariff approved by Railway Board.
- (iii) For Rajdhani/Shatabdi/Duronto trains and such other trains in which catering charges are inbuilt in the passenger fare, the menu is to be decided  by  IRCTC  in  consultation  with  Railway  Board  to  make  it commensurate with the tariff, to be fixed by Railway Board.
- (iv) Menu  &  Tariff  of  a-la-carte  items  served  through  static  catering units managed by Zonal Railways as well as IRCTC, to be fixed by Zonal Railways in consultation with IRCTC.
- (v) The Menu & Tariff of a-la-carte meals on mobile units handed over to IRCTC is to be decided by IRCTC.  However, in cases where the contracts for mobile units are being re-assigned to IRCTC, the same terms  and  conditions  including  menu  and  tariff  are  applicable  till the reassigned contracts cease to exist.
- (vi) Menu and tariffs for Food Plaza, Food Courts and Fast Food units to be decided and fixed by IRCTC.
- (vii) Adequate emphasis is to be laid on availability of regional cuisine all over Indian Railway.
- (c): No, Madam.  As per the Catering Policy 2010, the private caterers had to make kitchens at stations or locations nearby, to ensure hot, fresh and hygienic food is served to  the passengers in trains.  The food had to be prepared in the kitchen and  supplied to the pantry car for storage and warming  of  food    through  available  infrastructure  in  pantry  car/mini pantries like hotcase, boiler, hotplates etc.

In  the  new  Catering  Policy  2017  further  modifications  have  been made  to  upgrade  the  catering  services  and  bring  about  all  round improvement ensuring affordability  and  quality  of  catering  service.  The salient features of the policy are as under :-

New Catering Policy has been issued on 27 th  February 2017 with the objective  to  provide  quality  food  to  rail  passengers  by  unbundling  of catering services on trains. IRCTC has been mandated to carry out the unbundling by creating a distinction primarily between food preparation and  food  distribution.  In  order  to  upgrade  quality  of  food  preparation IRCTC  to  set  up  new  kitchens  and  upgrade  existing  ones.  The  salient features of the new Catering Policy 2017 are as under :-

- (i) IRCTC  to    manage  catering  service  on  all  mobile  units. Pantry car contracts awarded  by zonal railway to be reassigned to IRCTC.
- (ii) Meals for all mobile units to be picked up from the nominated kitchens owned, operated and managed by IRCTC.
- (iii) IRCTC  not  to  outrightly  outsource  or  issue  licenses  for provision of catering services to private licensees. IRCTC to retain  the  ownership  and  be  fully  accountable  for  all  the issues  pertaining  to  setting  up  and  operation  of  the  Base Kitchens and quality of food.
- (iv) IRCTC to engage service providers from hospitality industry for service of food in trains.
- (v) All four Base Kitchens under departmental operation of Zonal Railways  (Nagpur,  Chhatrapati  Shivaji  Terminus  (CSTM)  , Mumbai Central (BCT) and Balharshah) and all kitchen units i.e.  Refreshment Rooms at A1 and A category stations, Jan Ahaar, Cell Kitchens are to be handed over to IRCTC on 'as is where  is  basis'.    IRCTC  to  set  up  its  own  Kitchens  at additional stations, if required.
- (vi) Kitchen  structures/land/space  to  be  handed  over  by  zonal Railways  to  IRCTC,  for  a  period  of  10  years  extendable  for another period of 5 years, on a token license fee.
- (vii) IRCTC to be responsible for management of Food Plaza, Food Courts, Fast food units within the ambit of this policy.
- (viii) The setting up/ development / refurbishment of new or existing Base Kitchens/Kitchen units to be undertaken by IRCTC. These kitchens are to be owned, operated and managed by IRCTC.
- (ix) IRCTC to  develop  different  types  of  kitchens  keeping  in  view supply of food and usage assessed.
- (x) IRCTC to develop the Business model for the kitchens so that they can expand and enhance the service.  IRCTC to prepare a detailed  concession  agreement  for  setting  up/development  of the kitchens.
- (xi) IRCTC to involve/empanel Self Help groups for providing catering related services.
- (xii) In view of change in role of IRCTC in terms of management of catering service, the existing MoU between Ministry of Railways and IRCTC is to be redefined.
- (xiii) Zonal railway to manage static unit (catering stall /milk stalls/ trolleys  etc.)  except  base  kitchens  and  kitchen  units  to  be handed over to IRCTC .
- (xiv) For  the  purpose  of  allotment,  a  Refreshment  Room  (at  B  and below category stations) or a stall or a trolley to be deemed as one  unit.    As  such,  a  single  unit  is  to  be  awarded  through  a single license.
- (xv) Provision of perpetual renewal has been done away with. Now it  has  been  envisaged  that  tenure  of  all  static  units  (except kitchen units and Food Plaza) shall be 5 years only. Tenure of Food Plaza shall be for a period of 9 years.
- (xvi) Allotments of General Minor Units at all category stations to be done through open, competitive, two-packet tendering system from the eligible bidders by divisions.
- (xvii) For  the  first  time,  it  has  been  envisaged  that  allotment  of Special Minor units (reserved category) at all  category stations will be done by divisions through open tendering system within the similar reserved category. The technical eligibility criteria has been simplified.
- (xviii) 33  %  sub  quota  for  women  in  allotment  of  each  category  of minor catering units at all category of station to be provided.
- (d): The  corrective  measures  taken/being  taken  to  ensure  hot  and hygienic food is available to the passengers in trains and at stations, are as under:-
- I. Penal Action arising out of irregularities, complaints inspections:-
- and
- (i) Stringent action is taken by Railways and IRCTC against erring contractors.  One  contract  has  been  terminated,  one  is  under notice for termination while 16 contractors have been blacklisted for breach of terms of contracts in last one year.
- (ii) A fine of ₹ 1.8 crores (approximately) has been collected in 2108 cases in the last one year.

## II.

## Catering Complaint Monitoring & Redressal

- (i) Operation of Centralized Catering Service Monitoring Cell (CSMC) (toll free number 1800-111-321) for prompt redressal of passenger  grievances  relating  to  the  catering  and  real  time assistance  to  travelling public. This Cell gives  real  time assistance to 250-300 passengers per day.
- (ii) Inspections at various levels are conducted in trains & stations wherein feedback from passengers through surveys for enhanced satisfaction of the passengers is taken.
- (iii) A Twitter handle with the address @IRCATERING has also been made  operational  to  cater  to  the  complaints/suggestions  with regard to catering services.
- (iv) Operation  of  All  India  Helpline  (No.138)  for  rail-users  to  lodge complaints/ suggestions regarding food and catering services.

## III.  Other significant initiatives

- (i) E-catering  implemented  at  357  A1  and  A  category  stations  for widening  the  range  of  options  available  to  passengers  for ordering fresh and hot food of their choice.  Further proliferation at other major stations is being ensured.
- (ii) Empanelment  of  Self  Help  Groups  (SHGs)  to  provide  healthy, wholesome  regional cuisine at an affordable cost to the travelling  public  through  e-catering  has  initiated  and  9  SHGs have been empanelled at 10 stations.
- (iii) Introduction of 'Ready to Eat' (RTE) precooked food on trains has been mandated by Ministry of Railways through IRCTC to ensure supply of hot meals.
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