HC asks to monitor quality of food being served in trains

Kochi, June 9 (UNI) The Kerala Hight Court today reminded the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd that while awarding licence to run mobile catering service in trains higher amount offered in the tender alone should not not be the consideraion.

The quality of food that the licencee would be able to serve to the passengers should also be given weightage. Otherwise, either the quality would suffer or the licencee would be forced to increase the price of the food items, in which case also the passengers would be at the receiving end, the Court said.

Justice S Siri Jagan expressed displeasure in the attittude of the Corporation that they do not scrupulously verify the qualifications of the tenders, since licence is granted only after remitting the full security amount and annual licence fee in advance.

The Court set aside the catering contract awarded to Hotel Royal, Kozhikode, to run the mobile catering service in Ernakulam-Nizamuddin Mangala Express.

While allowing a writ petition filed by N B Krishna Kurup of Kozhikode, the Court directed the Corporation to take further steps in the matter of awarding contract in question in accordance with law.

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