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NEW DELHI, Aug 18: Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has been undertaking sustained and proactive measures to strengthen the quality, safety and hygiene of catering services provided to railway passengers.
As part of these efforts, IRCTC has intensified inspections to check the sale and service of unapproved food and beverage items and ensure compliance with prescribed food safety standards in trains and across railways premises.
In latest inspection drive, Quick Response Teams have been formed to conduct inspections across trains and railway stations in coordination with the commercial department of the Railways.
The teams are particularly focusing on the sale and stocking of unapproved Packaged Drinking Water, unapproved food and beverage products, and other items that do not conform to prescribed standards.
During the inspections, catering units are being extensively checked for compliance of licensing, authorisations, and hygiene and food safety requirements.
IRCTC officials, along with the Lucknow Commercial Department, conducted an extensive inspection drive at stations across the region to check the sale and storage of unapproved brands of Packaged Drinking Water.
During the drive, 117 trains were inspected and 5,241 bottles of unapproved brands of Packaged Drinking Water were seized.
Across the Chandigarh region, the IRCTC regional office conducted regular inspections of trains at various stations, including Ambala, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Katra and Jammu, during the past week & a total of 51 trains were inspected and 3,108 bottles of unapproved packaged drinking water were seized.
The Quick Response Teams of IRCTC have also been formed to conduct surprise inspections of catering units across the Chandigarh Regional Office, headed by the Chief Regional Manager, IRCTC Chandigarh, and Joint General Manager, IRCTC Chandigarh.
13 cartons of unapproved products, which included ice cream and flavoured milk were seized at Ambala by the QRT headed by CRM, Chandigarh.
Similarly, across the West Zone, during a surprise inspection of Train Side Vending operations of Train Nos. 19223 and 19031 at Sabarmati BG Railway Station, the IRCTC team detected the loading of unauthorised “Packaged Drinking Water” and “Buttermilk” onto the trains.
The unauthorised items were seized for further necessary action.
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