Railways imposed ₹5.13 crore fine for food quality and hygiene violations

During the last three years, it has Issued 54 show-cause notices, terminated six contracts and debarred defaulting licensees

GN Bureau | August 7, 2026


#Railways  
(Image: Courtesy AbhiSuryawanshi via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Food_in_Indian_Railway_NDLS_Premium_special.jpg)
(Image: Courtesy AbhiSuryawanshi via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Food_in_Indian_Railway_NDLS_Premium_special.jpg)

Indian Railways serve about 58 crore meals every year on an average. About only 0.0008% food quality related complaints are received on average. Based on complaints during the last three years, appropriate penal actions have been taken by IRCTC. Such actions include imposition of fines amounting to ₹5.13 crore, issuance of 54 show-cause notices, termination of 6 contracts and debarment of licensees for food quality and hygiene violations. The list of debarred licensees is published on the IRCTC’s website.

 
Regular and surprise inspections are conducted by Railway/IRCTC officials, including food safety officers, to ensure quality, hygiene, safety and regulatory compliance. These inspections cover key aspects such as food safety, staff deployment, equipment maintenance, cleanliness and adherence to prescribed standards while promoting best practices in food handling, storage and preparation.

This information was provided by railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in a reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on Friday.
 
Indian Railways continuously endeavour to provide good quality and hygienic food items to the travelling passengers as per the prescribed norms. Necessary steps are accordingly taken by Indian Railways from time to time to ensure the same. The following measures have been taken to improve quality, hygiene and food safety:
 
* Supply of meals from designated Base Kitchens.

* Commissioning of modern Base Kitchens at identified locations.

* Installation of CCTV Cameras in Base Kitchens for real time and better monitoring  of food preparation.

* Shortlisting and use of popular and branded raw materials for food production.

* Deployment of Food Safety Supervisors at Base Kitchens to monitor food safety and hygienic practices.

* Deployment of on-board IRCTC supervisors on trains.

* Introduction of QR codes on meal packets supplied in trains to enhance food safety, transparency and passenger awareness. The QR code provides details regarding date of packing, name of the licensee and FSSAI license number, for information of passengers.

* Regular deep cleaning and periodical pest control in Base Kitchens and Pantry Cars.

* Mandatory Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) certification to ensure compliance with Food Safety Norms.

* Regular food sampling as a part of the monitoring mechanism to ensure quality of food on trains.

* Regular training is conducted by IRCTC to enhance the skills of catering staff, focusing on customer service areas, i.e., communication, courteous behaviour, service standards, personal grooming, and hygiene.

* Third Party Audit is done to examine hygiene and quality of food in Pantry Cars and Base Kitchens. Customer satisfaction survey is also conducted.

* Regular and surprise inspections by Railway/ IRCTC officials, including Food Safety Officers.
 
 

Comments

 

Other News

How social media is reshaping elections

Since Brazil’s return to direct presidential elections in 1985, no candidate who finished second in the first round of polling had ever won the presidency. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, now 81, has just done it. What explains the comeback, and what changed in Brazilian politics to make it possi

Cabinet approves Dearness Allowance, Dearness Relief

The union cabinet chaired by prime minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved the release of an additional instalment of Dearness Allowance (DA) to central government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners with effect from 01.07.2026 representing an increase of 3% over the existing rates of 6

Cyclone Arnab strikes Andhra as warming oceans amplify storm risks

Cyclone Arnab made landfall along the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts in the early hours of Wednesday as a very severe cyclonic storm, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 125–135 kmph and gusts reaching 150 kmph. Its rapid intensification has raised concerns about how warmer oceans, global warmin

Counting matters but which ones?

The first instinct of public policy is to count. Its harder task is to count what counts. We have become remarkably good at measuring the reach of the welfare state vis-à-vis beneficiaries covered, rupees transferred, houses built, connections installed and services delivered. But some of the most

Inching closer to a trade deal with America

The cooperation between India and the United States goes back quite a time. We need to relegate that era to the backburner when Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru visited US in the times of president Dwight Eisenhower and called the American let-off of 10 million dollars in defence aid to Pakistan as a “gun w

Manch vs Musk: Forty people and a foreign billionaire

About forty people walked the roundabout on Teen Murti Marg to the gate of Chanakyapuri police station, a distance you could cover in under a minute, on Friday to protest against Elon Musk’s Starlink. The walk was called by the Swadeshi Jagaran Manch. Nobody joined them on the way, and nobody seeme

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter