New Delhi: Indian Railways serves around 58 crore meals every year, while food quality-related complaints account for only about 0.0008 per cent of the total meals served, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha on Monday.
In a written reply to a question in the House, Vaishnaw said the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has taken several penal actions over the past three years against service providers found violating food quality and hygiene standards.
These measures include fines of more than Rs 5 crore, 54 show-cause notices and termination of six contracts. Licensees have also been debarred in cases involving violations of food quality and hygiene requirements.
The minister said Railway and IRCTC officials, including Food Safety Officers, conduct regular as well as surprise inspections to monitor the quality, hygiene and safety of food served to passengers.
He added that CCTV cameras have been installed in base kitchens to enable real-time monitoring of food preparation and improve oversight.
The measures are aimed at ensuring better food quality, hygiene and compliance with food safety regulations across railway catering services.