Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday informed the Rajya Sabha that the Indian Railways has imposed penalties worth Rs 5.13 crore on catering service providers over the past three years following complaints related to poor food quality and unhygienic pantry cars.
In a written reply in the Upper House, Vaishnaw said the national transporter serves nearly 58 crore meals every year to passengers across the country. Despite the massive scale of operations, complaints regarding food quality account for only about 0.0008 per cent of the total meals served annually.
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The minister said every complaint received is thoroughly investigated, and action is taken wherever deficiencies are found. Based on these inquiries conducted over the last three years, service providers were collectively fined Rs 5.13 crore.
Vaishnaw stressed that ensuring quality and hygiene in onboard catering remains a priority for the Railways. He said the ministry regularly reviews catering standards and takes corrective measures to ensure passengers receive safe and hygienic food.
According to the minister, Indian Railways continues to strengthen monitoring mechanisms and enforce prescribed quality norms across pantry cars and catering units. He added that inspections are conducted regularly and strict action is initiated whenever violations are detected.
The minister reiterated that maintaining passenger satisfaction remains a key objective and that continuous improvements are being made in catering services. He assured Parliament that the Railways remains committed to providing clean, hygienic and quality food during train journeys while holding defaulting vendors accountable through financial penalties and other disciplinary measures.
