IRCTC warns rail passengers against unauthorised food delivery services

IRCTC has named 11 food delivery services for poor food quality.

New Delhi: The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has warned rail passengers against unauthorised food delivery services.

IRCTC in a tweet said that food delivery services like Railyatri, Khanagadi, Khanaonline, Travelzaika, Trainfood, Travelfood, Travelerfood, Food in train, Food on wheel, Railrasoi, erail etc. are not authorised to deliver food in trains.

Railyatri, Khanagadi, Khanaonline, Travelzaika, Trainfood, Travelfood, Travelerfood, Food in train, Food on wheel, Railrasoi, erail etc. are not authorised to deliver food in trains. Do not risk your lives by ordering through them. pic.twitter.com/LselzkI5DQ

— IRCTC (@IRCTCofficial) April 16, 2018

It may be recalled that in October last year Railways carried out a trail to record customer feedback through an online form on the tablets. Around 100 tablets were given by the Railways to on-board supervisors of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) in different railway zones for recording customer feedback on food quality, staff behaviour and other related issues. The tablet was used on a trial basis for the first time on the Ahmedabad-Delhi Rajdhani.

Meanwhile, around June last year, on the quality of food, Comptroller and Auditor General of India had said in a scathing report that the food sold at railway stations is "unfit for human consumption" and the hygiene standards at railway catering units are below par.

The CAG performance audit found unpurified tap water being used to make beverages, uncovered and unwashed waste bins, food left out in the open, and rats and cockroaches at catering units in trains and stations.

The report was prepared after inspections at 74 stations and 80 trains, covering the period from 2013 to 2016 and issues of earlier years which could not be reported earlier.

The Railway Ministry, later said in a statement that measures were already put in place to control and improve food quality. A senior official of the ministry claimed that while 11 lakh meals are served on trains everyday, on an average there are only about 23 complaints per day over catering.

The CAG report also pointed out that frequent changes in the catering policy and the consequent transfer of responsibility to manage catering units have created a state of uncertainty in management of the services. The ministry official said the catering policy has been changed only thrice -- in 2005, 2010 and 2017.

With PTI Inputs