IRCTC refutes reports on supply of South Indian dishes in trains

New Delhi, Apr 25 (UNI) The Railways today described as ''misleading'' media reports that restrictions had been imposed on supply of South Indian cuisines in trains.

''South Indian items are still available in the menu. Idly-vada, upma-vada and Pongal-vada continue to be served as items for vegetarian breakfast in trains. Standard vegetarian meals comprise rice, sambhar, vegetable curry, curd and pickle, which are standard South Indian preparations,'' Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) said.

''The report that Railways has stopped supply of south Indian items is not true,'' Mr J. Vinayan, AGM, IRCTC, Ernakulam, said in a statement.

Mr Vinayan said the restriction is only A-la-carte (from the menu) items, and that too on a trial basis.

He said this had been done for streamlining the sale of A-la-carte items with regard to weight and rate and to avoid instances of overcharging from the passengers.

''Other popular items such as onion oothappam, potato bonda, Mysore bonda, curd rice and sambhar rice still find a place in the existing A-la-carte list,'' he pointed out.

Mr Vinayan said IRCTC was aware that most popular items of cuisine on Indian Railways are South Indian dishes.

''IRCTC has no intention to reduce or delete these well-loved items from our menu. It is expected that the present A-la-carte list will be considerably expanded in the immediate future to include all popular South Indian items in it,'' he said.

UNI