Thiruvananthapuram: The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and the Railways’ commercial wing are engaged in a blame game despite a rising number of complaints about the poor-quality food served on trains, including the Vande Bharat, reports Manorama Online.

The authorities have not taken strict action to ensure the quality of the food, although the contract rates are increased yearly. The contractor can get away by paying a fine if complaints are raised against the food. When complaints increased, the Railways handed the contract to supply food in six Vande Bharat trains under the Southern Railway to a single contractor on a cluster basis. However, the condition at their base kitchen in Kadavanthra, as revealed in a raid by the Kochi Corporation officials, proves nothing has changed.

Meanwhile, the catering contracts for supplying food in most trains in India are reportedly monopolised by a Delhi-based company and its benami associates. This company functions under five different names. The same company would acquire the contract under a different name if one company's contract gets cancelled. Although food safety officers and health inspectors can check the quality of the food, the subsequent actions are limited to just imposing a fine.

Why aren't the authorities taking action?
Sources say the fear of disruption in food delivery on trains prevents officials from taking strict action against erring companies. Besides, the catering contractor, Brindavan Products, reportedly did not follow the most crucial guideline for separate kitchens for the Vande Bharat trains. Food for five trains is supplied from the kitchen in Kadavanthra. The authorities have been blamed for their incompetence and inaction as they remain unaware of this gross contractual violation.

Passengers should intervene
The ticket fare from Thiruvananthapuram to Ernakulam in the Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod Vande Bharat Express is ₹800. It drops to ₹680 if a passenger doesn’t pre-book breakfast. To avail of this, they must check the no-food option while booking the tickets.

The ticket fare is ₹1,190, including dinner, from Ernakulam to Mangaluru on the Thiruvananthapuram—Mangaluru Vande Bharat train. If dinner is not purchased along with the ticket, the ticket can be booked for ₹990. Passengers can register complaints about the catering by dialling 139 or via the Rail Madad app. They can also post complaints, including pictures of the food, on social media platforms by tagging the Railways (@RailMinIndia).

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