NEW DELHI: Now, the passengers travelling by the Vande Bharat train between Gandhinagar and Mumbai have started relishing meals made with nutritious millets onboard. The introduction of the meal has come as part of the central government’s move to promote millets as part of 2023 being celebrated as the “International Year of the Millets”.
According to railway sources, the low-calorie millet-rich regional dishes being served in the train are fascinating the passengers. “To mark 2023 as the International Year of Millets, the Indian Railways is serving millet-enriched high-end delicacies suitable to the taste buds of esteemed clientele on the Gandhinagar Capital- Mumbai Central Vande Bharat express,” said a senior official of the Railways.
Almost all varieties of millets-enriched regional delicacies are said to have been introduced. Sources said that the millet menu will be introduced in other premier trains and other five other Vande Bharat trains as well. “The introduction the millet menu is an effort to celebrate country’s indigenous meals and it will certainly be appealing to passengers who often crave for such dishes and are not able to ge them,” said a senior Railway official. He added that similar menu will also be soon part ofthe services in other premier express trains like Tejas Rajdhani express.
The Gandhinagar-Capital-Mumbai Vande Bharat express train was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on whose initiative the UN has declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets.This rake of Vande Bharat train covers distance of 519 km between Gandhinagar and Mumbai. Apart from the Vande Bharat trains, the Indian Railways runs 24 pairs of Rajdhani express trains, connecting almost all major cities of the country with the national capital.
More than 15 to 20 lakh passengers would be able to have taste of meals of millets daily in the country, if the new menu is introduced in all these trains. According to an official figure, 1,201 super fast trains are running, including Shatabadi express and others, in the country. “One can imagine what a big opportunity would it be to popularise the millets-made meals across the railways, introducing across the super fast trains,” remarked a railway official.