Railways Imposes ₹5.13 Crore Fine Over Food Quality

Indian Railways has imposed a total fine of ₹5.13 crore on catering contractors for food quality violations over the last three years. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw revealed these figures in a written response to a query in the Rajya Sabha. The national transporter also terminated six catering contracts and blacklisted defaulting licensees to enforce strict quality benchmarks. The government is using periodic surprise inspections and third-party food safety audits to keep a close check on onboard meals.

Despite the punitive actions, the minister highlighted that the volume of food complaints remains extremely low compared to the scale of operations. Indian Railways serves approximately 58 crore meals annually across its extensive passenger network. The ministry calculated that food quality-related complaints account for just 0.0008 percent of the total meals served. Officials credit this low percentage to modernized base kitchens and digital monitoring systems implemented by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).

To ensure hygiene, the ministry is progressively installing CCTV cameras inside major base kitchens for live streaming. Passengers can log complaints instantly through the RailMadad portal, allowing onboard staff to resolve catering issues in real-time. The strict fines send a clear signal to private contractors that quality compromises will face immediate financial and legal penalties. Passengers can expect better compliance and fresher food choices as the railways expand these monitoring systems.