Catering Policy by Railway
New Catering Policy 2017 in Railways
Indian Railway announced through the press release that to improve the standard of food being provided to passengers in trains, a new Catering Policy has been issued on 27th February 2017 wherein inter-alia Railway has been mandated to carry out the unbundling by creating a distinction primarily between food preparation and food distribution.
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Permission for sale of other packed items at Fruit and Juice Installs ~ 13.08.2020
New Catering Policy 2017
In order to upgrade quality of food preparation, Railway is to set up new kitchens and upgrade existing ones.
Salient Features
The salient features of the new Catering Policy 2017 are as under :-
- Railway to manage catering service on all mobile units. Pantry car contracts awarded by zonal railway to be reassigned to Railway.
- Meals for all mobile units to be picked up from the nominated kitchens owned, operated and managed by Railway.
- IRCTC not to outrightly outsource or issue licenses for provision of catering services to private licensees. Railway to retain the ownership and be fully accountable for all the issues pertaining to setting up and operation of the Base Kitchens and quality of food.
- Railway to engage service providers from hospitality industry for service of food in trains.
- All four Base Kitchens under departmental operation of Zonal Railways (Nagpur, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CSTM) , Mumbai Central (BCT) and Balharshah) and all kitchen units i.e. Refreshment Rooms at A1 and A category stations, Jan Ahaar, Cell Kitchens are to be handed over to Railway on ‘as is where is basis’. IRCTC to set up its own Kitchens at additional stations, if required.
- Kitchen structures/land/space to be handed over by zonal Railways to Railway, for a period of 10 years extendable for another period of 5 years, on a token license fee.
- Railway to be responsible for management of Food Plaza, Food Courts, Fast food units within the ambit of this policy.
- The setting up/ development / refurbishment of new or existing Base Kitchens/Kitchen units to be undertaken by IRCTC. These kitchens are to be owned, operated and managed by Railway.
- Railway to develop different types of kitchens keeping in view supply of food and usage assessed.
- IRCTC to develop the Business model for the kitchens so that they can expand and enhance the service. Railway to prepare a detailed concession agreement for setting up/development of the kitchens.
- Zonal railway to manage static unit (catering stall /milk stalls/ trolleys etc.) except base kitchens and kitchen units to be handed over to Railway .
- For the purpose of allotment, a Refreshment Room (at B and below category stations) or a stall or a trolley to be deemed as one unit. As such, a single unit is to be awarded through a single license.
- Provision of perpetual renewal has been done away with. Now it has been envisaged that tenure of all static units (except kitchen units and Food Plaza) shall be 5 years only. Tenure of Food Plaza shall be for a period of 9 years.
- Allotments of General Minor Units at all category stations to be done through open, competitive, two-packet tendering system from the eligible bidders by divisions.
- For the first time, it has been envisaged that allotment of Special Minor units (reserved category) at all category stations will be done by divisions through open tendering system within the similar reserved category. The technical eligibility criteria has been simplified.
Special Provisions for Women
New Catering Policy 2017, there includes many new special provisions for the women. Following are the details.
Under this policy, a Sub Quota of ✅ 33% for women in allotment of each of the reserved catering units is being introduced on Indian Railways in order to extend economic empowerment for women. It is also in compliance with the announcement made in Railway Budget 2016-17.
Current Status of Reservation at Minor Catering Units (Stalls / Trolleys / Khomchas)
- A1, A, B, and C Category stations – 25% of the Units are reserved for various categories like SC (6%), ST (4%), BPL (3%), OBC (3%), Minorities (3%), Freedom Fighters (4%) and Physically Challenged persons (2%).
- D, E, and F Category stations – 49.5% of the Units are reserved for various categories like SC (12%), ST (8%), OBC (20%), and Minorities (9.5%).
- 33% sub-quota for women in allotment of each category of minor catering units at all categories of stations has been provided. 33% sub-quota reservation for women in each category shall ensure allotment of a minimum 8% stalls to women at A1, A, B, and C category station and a minimum 17% at D, E, and F category station.
- There are approximately 8000 Minor Catering Units over Indian Railways.
- Under this provision, Railways shall ensure that women’s participation does not fall below a specific level.
New Catering Policy – Menu and Tariff of Food Items
Minister of Railways launches New Catering Policy on 27.02.2017, railway announced through a press release,
Following are the details of New Catering Policy 2017 by Railway.
With the objective to provide quality food to the customers un-bundling of catering services on trains has been envisaged in catering policy 2017. This policy supersedes Catering Policy 2010 and related instructions. Railway has been mandated to carry out the un-bundling by creating a distinction Primarily between food preparation and food distribution. In order to upgrade quality of food preparation Railway shall be setting up New Kitchens and upgrade existing ones. Modifications have been necessitated in the management of catering service on mobile and static units to implement social objectives of the Government besides encouraging fair competition in allotment of catering units over stations. Railway Shall be responsible for catering services through mobile catering units, Base Kitchens, Cell Kitchens, Refreshment Rooms at A1 and A category of stations, Food Plazas, Food Courts, Train side Vending, Jan Ahaars. All other catering units like Refreshment Rooms at B and below category of stations, AVMs, Milk Stalls, trolleys shall be managed by the Zonal Railways.
Menu and Tariff of food items as per New Catering Policy , announced on 27.02.2017 will be fixed as follows.
- For Rajdhani/Shatabdi/Duronto trains and such other trains in which catering charges are inbuilt in the passenger fare, the menu shall be decided by Railway in consultation with Railway Board to make it commensurate with the tariff, which will be fixed by Railway Board.
- For controlled segment items/standard menu/Janta Meals on units handed over to Railway, the menu shall be decided by Railway in consultation with Zonal Railway withing the fixed tariff approved by Railway Board.
- Menu and tariffs for Food Plaza, Food Courts and fast food units will be decided and fixed by Railway.
- Menu of controlled segment items including regional cuisine on minor static catering units shall be decided by Zonal Railways within the fixed tariff approved by Railway Board.
- Menu and tariff of a la-carte items served through static catering units managed by Zonal Railways as well as IRCTC, will be fixed by Zonal Railways in consultation with Railway.
- The Menu and Tariff of a-la-carte meals on Mobile units handed over to Railway shall be decided by Railway. However, in cases where the contracts for mobile units are being re-assigned to Railway, the same terms and conditions including menu and tariff shall be applicable till the reassigned contracts cease to exist.
- Adequate emphasis should be laid on availability of regional cuisine all over Indian Railway.
SUMMARY OF THE POLICY
Mobile Units and Base Kitchens
Railway shall manage catering service on all mobile units including catering services on all new trains/ trains started on short notice. Pantry car contracts awarded by zonal railways shall also be reassigned to Railway. Meals for all mobile units will be picked up from the nominated kitchens, owned operated and managed by Railway. Railway shall develop different archetypes of kitchens keeping in view supply of food and usage assessed.
- All four Base Kitchens under departmental operation of Zonal Railways (Nagpur, CSTM, BCT and Balharshah) and all kitchen units i.e. Refreshment Rooms at A1 and A category stations, Jan Ahaar, Cell Kitchens shall be handed over to Railway on ‘as is where is basis’. Besides IRCTC may set up its own Kitchens at additional stations if required.
- Kitchen structures/ land/space will be handed over by Zonal Railways to Railway, for a period of 10 years extendable for another period of 5 years, on a token license fee of Re.1/- (Re. one) per sqft. p.a. subject to minimum of Rs.100/- p.a.
- Railway shall develop the Business model for the kitchens so that they can expand and enhance the service.
- Railway shall prepare and submit a detailed concession agreement for setting up/development of the kitchens for approval of Railway Board.
- Railway shall not outrightly outsource or issue licenses for provision of catering services to private licensees.
- Railway shall determine the menu of standard meals and A-la-carte items. The standard meals served in trains shall be within the fixed tariff approved by Railway Board.
Railway may involve/empanel Self Help groups for providing catering related services.
Static Units
- Zonal Railways will manage static units (catering/milk stalls, trolleys etc.) except base kitchens and kitchen units to be handed over to Railway. Railway shall be responsible for catering services in static unit viz., Food Plazas, Food Courts and Fast Food Units.
- Allotment of all Minor Catering units at all category of stations to be done through open tender.
- For the first time, it has been envisaged that Allotment of Special Minor Units (reserved category) at all category stations will be done through open tendering system within the similar reserved category. The technical eligibility criteria has been simplified
- Allotment of Milk Stalls at all stations shall be done through open tender system as against calling application.
- For Milk Stalls, in addition to dairy cooperative federations/members of NCDFI bodies/agencies registered/certified by FSSAI for sale of milk and milk products have been made eligible to participate at all category of stations.
- Provision of perpetual renewal has been done away with. Now it has been envisaged that tenure of all static units (except kitchen units and Food Plaza) shall be 5 years only.
- For smooth implementation of renewal, ceiling limit on holding of minor units including milk stalls, computation of units has been defined.
- 33% sub quota for women in allotment of each category of minor catering units at all category of stations has been provided.
From the following link by Indian Railway you will get further details:- Catering Policy 2017