BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court has declined to interfere with the commercial circular issued by the Indian Railways to bring maintenance of hygiene, responsibility and accountability in the preparation and distribution of food in trains, and to enable passengers to know the kitchen from where the food came from by scanning the QR code on food packets.
“Quality of preparation of food and efficiency of distribution are in the realm of commercial decisions in the public interest by the Railways,” said Justice M Nagaprasanna while rejecting the petitions filed by South Western Railway Catering Contractors’ Association, represented by its General Secretary V S Manogar.
The association questioned the commercial circular dated November 14, 2023, which is part of Catering Policy 2017 issued by the Director of Tourism and Catering, Railway Board, and the e-open tender submission dated February 15, 2024, for the provision of onboard catering services in trains.
Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta contended that the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) had entered into contracts with other contractors and they had only certain kitchens. “Hygiene became a big problem in catering for Railways as the contractors to whom IRCTC had entrusted food distribution would blame the person who had prepared the food in case of complaints. Therefore to bring in accountability, certain tweaks were made to the catering policy as to who should have the base kitchen and from where the food should come,” he argued.
He also submitted that present food packets have a QR code through which the kitchen from where the food came from can be seen in real time. The hygiene in the kitchen can also be viewed. For maintenance of hygiene, responsibility and accountability for the food served on trains, the impugned addendum was issued by way of a circular.