Lok Sabha Question No. 1052 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-08
Subject: Small Catering Vending Licensees
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Arvind Ganpat Sawant, Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1052

TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.02.2023

## SMALL CATERING VENDING LICENSEES

†1052. SHRI ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT: SHRI SANJAY JADHAV:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  representations  from  Akhil  Bhartiya  Railway  Khan  Pan Licensees  Welfare  Association  regarding  complaints  and  demands  of small catering vending licensees working on platforms of Indian Railways have been received on 08.08.2022 and 10.09.2022 and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the demands have been scrutinized and considered upon and if so, the item-wise details of the demands thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has taken cognizance of the problems faced by  the  small  catering  vending  licensees  working  on  platforms  of  Indian Railways;
- (d)  if  so,  the  details  of  suitable  and  immediate  measures  taken  by  the Government to address the problems thereof;
- (e)  whether  the  Railway  Board  vide  its  letter  2017/TG-III/600/10  dated 01.07.2021  has  clarified  that  the  legal  descendents  of  the  deceased licensees during the status quo be fully permitted on temporary basis to maintain the transfer of licensees;
- (f)  if  so,  the  details  of  such  transfer  orders  issued  by  the  Bikaner,  Kota, Sonpur,  Dhanbad  and  Samastipur  division  along  with  the  divisions  of various districts of Maharashtra; and
- (g) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a) to (g): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) TO (g) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION  NO.  1052  BY  SHRI  ARVIND  GANPAT  SAWANT  AND  SHRI SANJAY  JADHAV  TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  08.02.2023 REGARDING SMALL CATERING VENDING LICENSEES

(a) to (d): Yes, Sir. Representations from Akhil Bhartiya Railway Khan-Pan Licensees Welfare Association (regd.) have been received wherein various reliefs  for  minor  static  unit  vendors  have  been  sought.  These  inter-alia included relief in license fee, renewal of licences of minor catering units, transfer  of  license  to  legal  heir,  scrapping  of  the  tendering  system envisaged  in  Catering  Policy  2017,  relaxations  in  GST  on  license  fee, permission for sale of packed items on Fruit/Juice stalls, platform vending permission, use of cooking gas on platforms and supply of electricity on subsidised rates. These representations/ suggestions have been examined on merit and action taken accordingly.

Indian  Railways  has  taken  various  measures  to  ease  the  hardship faced by small licensees/ vendors, which are as under:

- (i).  The  period  for  which  stalls  were  non-  operational  during  the  Covid pandemic  was  treated  as  'Dies-Non'  and  the  contracts  were  extended accordingly.
- (ii).  Relief  in  licence  fee  was  given  to  the  licensees  taking  into  account the reduction in traffic volume and passenger footfall at stations.
- (iii).  Performance  security  deposit  has  been  reduced  from  10%  of  total contract value to 3% of the same till 31.03.2023.
- (iv).  Sale  of  packed  items  on  Fruit/Juice  stalls  has  been  allowed  to enhance  sales potential.
- (v). Zonal Railways have been delegated powers to grant platform vending permissions to the licensee of the minor static catering units.
- (vi). Renewal to the old existing catering licenses of minor static catering units is granted in accordance with Commercial Circular 22 of  2017 and instructions dated 27.08.2019 issued by the Ministry of Railways.

(e):  Vide  the  said  letter,  it  was  clarified  that  transfer  of  license  to  legal heir,  if  required,  should  be  permitted  purely  on  temporary  basis  to maintain status quo, which should however be dealt as per extant policy subject to outcome of the case before Hon'ble High Court of Delhi.

(f)  and  (g):  Out  of  these  divisions  including  the  divisions  of  various districts of Maharashtra, details of licences that have been transferred to legal heirs from 01.07.2021 to 31.01.2023 are appended.

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APPENDIX REFERRED  TO IN REPLY TO PART (f) AND (g) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1052 BY SHRI ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT AND  SHRI  SANJAY  JADHAV  TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON 08.02.2023 REGARDING SMALL CATERING VENDING LICENSEES (f)  and  (g):  The  details  of  licences  that  have  been  transferred  to  the

## legal heir from 01.07.2021 to 31.01.2023 are as under:

|   Sr. no. | Station Name   | Division   | District    | State             | Type of unit   | Name of the original licensee   | Date of transfer of License   |
|-----------|----------------|------------|-------------|-------------------|----------------|---------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|         1 | Sudsar         | Bikaner    | Bikaner     | Rajasthan Trolley | Rami           | Devi                            | 29.06.2022                    |
|         2 | Sudsar         | Bikaner    | Bikaner     | Rajasthan         | Trolley        | Hau Devi                        | 29.06.2022                    |
|         3 | Ratangarh      | Bikaner    | Churu       | Rajasthan         | Trolley        | Pawan Kumar                     | 29.06.2022                    |
|         4 | Mahajan        | Bikaner    | Bikaner     | Rajasthan         | Trolley        | Mohini Devi                     | 29.06.2022                    |
|         5 | Bhiwani        | Bikaner    | Bhiwani     | Haryana           | Stall          | Narendra Kumar                  | 29.06.2022                    |
|         6 | Tehsil Bhadra  | Bikaner    | Hanumangarh | Rajasthan         | Trolley        | Om Prakash                      | 21.07.2022                    |
|         7 | Nanded         | Nanded     | Nanded      | Maharashtra       | Tea stall      | Syad Karimuddin                 | 15.07.2022                    |

*****