Indian Railways announces measures to ensure quality of food served to passengers
The steps announced by the national transporter include the use of CCTV cameras in kitchens, QR codes on food packets, including the date and time of packaging
The Indian Railways on March 24 announced a slew of initiatives to provide quality and hygienic food to passengers as per norms and standards prescribed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
The steps announced by the national transporter include the use of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in kitchens, quick response (QR) codes on food packets including the date and time of packaging, the Railways Ministry said in a statement.
The Railways has also set up a robust system of passenger grievances redressal through Integrated Helpline no. 139, Rail Madad, Twitter handle, and Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS).
The Railways will also conduct surprise inspections of establishments.
Railways, at present, runs special trains in which only Ready to Eat (RTE) food is provided.
The Railways has received 278 complaints regarding the quality of food and supply of packaged drinking water, other than Rail Neer for the period starting 01-04-2020 to 28-02-2021.
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) has also engaged private contractors to provide catering facilities in special trains either through Pantry Car or Train Side Vending.