Indian Railways to offer fresh food to passengers cooked after every two hours; plans to have base kitchens

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on Tuesday said Indian Railways has decided to provide good quality food to its passengers and for the same it has decided to have base kitchens at several places so that fresh food can be picked up at every two-hours of travel

Taking note of overcharging of food in trains, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said the issue will be taken up at the conference on Tuesday. Image Source: IANS/PIB

Highlights:

1. We have decided to provide good quality food to our passengers and for that we have decided to have base kitchens at several places so that fresh food can be picked up at every two-hours of travel, cited Indian Railways minister Suresh Prabhu

2. Railways, which provides about 11 lakh meals to passengers every day, has separated cooking and distribution of food under its recently launched new catering policy

3. The base kitchens will be mechanised kitchens with less human intervention and it can be done through Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode, Prabhu said

To address ongoing food complaints from passengers, Indian Railways has now decided to provide fresh food cooked at base kitchens in trains after every two hours to the passengers, PTI reported.

"We have decided to provide good quality food to our passengers and for that we have decided to have base kitchens at several places so that fresh food can be picked up at every two-hours of travel," the news report said quoting Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, as saying at the Round Table Conference on catering in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Railways, which provides about 11 lakh meals to passengers every day, has separated cooking and distribution of food under its recently launched new catering policy.

Participated by representatives from the food and beverage industry, self-help groups, senior IRCTC and railway officials, the Round Table Conference aims to formulate a roadmap under the new catering policy to provide best catering service at rail premises.

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Admitting complaints against food served in trains, Prabhu said, "Whenever complaints come we always take prompt action. We had detailed discussion before formulating the policy and today we are having discussion for its smooth implementation."

Taking note of overcharging of food in trains, he said the issue will be taken up at the conference on Tuesday.

ROUND TABLE CONFERENCE ON CATERING
Have Agenda of round table conference pic.twitter.com/4b5flX2tcq

— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) March 21, 2017

"We have announced a new catering policy. There were many complaints against catering service. There were complaints against those who have got the catering responsibility under our earlier catering policy," Prabhu said.

Seeking participation of private players in food business for setting up base kitchens near stations, Prabhu said, "We have decided how to provide good quality food to our passengers. So we decided to have base kitchens at many places across the country. The base kitchens will be mechanised kitchens with less human intervention. It can be done through Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode."

Prabhu further said base kitchens will benefit passengers as fresh food can be picked up in trains in every two hours which even airlines cannot do.

As far distribution of food is concerned, Prabhu also sought participation of reputed caterers.

"Delivery of food is important for an effective catering service. Delivery of fresh food in trains can also be done by reputed caterers with proper quality control mechanism," he added.