HC grants 6 weeks to Railways to give hygienic food to passengers

New Delhi, Feb 7 (UNI) The Delhi High Court today granted six weeks to the Indian Railways to provide clean and hygienic food to the passengers in various trains.

A division bench of Justice Mukundakam Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Khanna directed the court-appointed committee to inspect the six kitchens of the Railways in the Capital and pantry vans in running trains.

Attorney General Milon Banerjee appearing for the Ministry of Railways and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC) said the authorities had initiated steps to improve the infrastructure, service and quality of food items supplied to the passengers.

Banerjee said the Railways had roped in Nirula's and American multinational food chain McDonald's to maintain canteens at New Delhi and Old Delhi Railway stations.

Adjourning the matter till April 18, the Bench directed the court-appointed committee to inspect the six kitchens of the Railways in the Capital and pantry vans in running trains.

The court appointed committee comprising advocates Kirit Uppal and Varun Goswami said it would submit its report on its last inspection to the court in the intervening period.

The condition in the pantry cars of the running trains was unhygienic and bad and the IRCTC should take steps immediately to improve the situation, said Uppal.

Despite charging exorbitant prices for food, the private contractors or licencees appointed by the IRCTC did not improve the quality of food and hygienic condition of the pantry cars in about 235 express trains.

On April 28, Mr Goswami had filed a public suit seeking direction to the authorities to modernise and sanitize their base kitchens all over the country and pantry cars.

UNI