IRCTC Fines Total ₹13.2 Crore Over Food Complaints; Railways Strengthens Monitoring

Amid rising concerns and viral videos over food quality on Indian trains, the Railway Minister said robust steps are being taken to improve hygiene and service standards in onboard catering. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha on Thursday, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw revealed that the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) imposed fines amounting to Rs 13.2 crore in the last financial year over complaints related to food services. 

Details

The minister informed that Indian Railways serves approximately 16.5 lakh meals every day across its vast network, making it one of the largest food service operations in the country. To maintain standards, 1,695 hospitality graduates have been deployed to monitor both base kitchens and onboard catering services.

According to Vaishnaw, to streamline operations and ensure accountability, the Ministry of Railways has shifted to a cluster-based catering model. Instead of awarding contracts for individual trains, contracts are now issued for clusters of trains. This approach, Vaishnaw said, is designed to establish end-to-end accountability and ensure better infrastructure and monitoring.

A total of 24 bidders participated in the tenders for clusters of trains floated by IRCTC, out of which 20 entities have been awarded contracts by IRCTC. No contract was awarded by IRCTC in contradiction of the tender conditions. The details of Letters of Award (LOA), issued to multiple service providers, are published on the website of IRCTC.

The details of the Letters of Award (LOA) issued to various service providers have been published on the IRCTC’s website, further emphasizing transparency in the process.

Vaishnaw noted that robust monitoring systems and compliance checks are in place to ensure adherence to tender conditions and to curb unethical practices. Complaints and suggestions from passengers, elected representatives, and other stakeholders are reviewed regularly and necessary action is taken.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw's Statement

"In addition to this, grievances are being closely monitored through the RailMadad portal, which acts as a centralized platform for handling public complaints and feedback" he said.

Railways has mandated the deployment of degree/diploma holders in hotel management to enhance service standards. Currently, 819 hospitality monitors are overseeing operations in base kitchens, while 876 monitors are stationed onboard trains to supervise catering services, the Railway Minister stated.

"To ensure an upgrade in services, various provisions have been made in the circular, which inter alia include instructions regarding the qualification and training of staff to be deployed for managing catering services. It has been mandated to deploy hotel management graduates to supervise and monitor these services. Accordingly, degree/diploma hospitality monitors are engaged by IRCTC/contractors: 819 are deployed in multiple kitchens for monitoring kitchen operations, and 876 are deployed on trains for monitoring onboard catering services," Vaishnaw said, adding that instructions regarding the qualification and training of catering staff have been included in the latest circulars, underlining the government’s focus on upgrading passenger services.