New Delhi | A base kitchen in Kochi was closed and fined Rs 1 lakh following an inspection conducted by a three-member committee comprising officers from the railways and the IRCTC, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday.
He shared this in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha by Congress MP Hibi Eden about a catering unit in Kadavanthra, Kochi, which was found serving unhygienic and stale food to passengers of express trains.
Vaishnaw said the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) regularly floats tenders to select licensees for provision of onboard catering services in trains, as mandated under the extant policy.
"These licenses are awarded through a transparent process, as per the terms and conditions stipulated in the tender documents. Performance review of catering contractors is an ongoing process, which is done by the IRCTC from time to time. Corrective action is accordingly taken in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract," the minister said.
"The base kitchen at Kochi was inspected by a committee of three officers from Railways and IRCTC, following which a penalty of Rs 1,00,000 was imposed and the base kitchen was closed.
Listing various safety measures taken to improve quality, hygiene and food safety, Vaishnaw said meals are supplied from designated base kitchens, modern base kitchens are commissioned at identified locations, CCTV cameras are installed in base kitchens for better monitoring of food preparation, popular and branded raw materials like cooking oil, atta, rice, pulses and masala etc. are used for food preparation and food safety supervisors are deployed at base kitchens to ensure food safety.
Asked whether the government proposes to consider empanelling community-run initiatives like Kudumbashree's Samrudhi network of the Kochi Municipal Corporation to supply food on trains, Vaishnaw said, "Pilot testing with Kudumbashree Samrudhi has also been carried out."
