In a stunning revelation by the Comptroller and Auditor General, it has emerged that the food prepared by the Indian Railways’ is not suitable for human consumption.
The CAG’s report, likely to be tabled in the parliament today (Friday), has said that the catering services in Indian Railways use unpurified tap water in the preparation of beverages and food items in trains, and leave them in the open for flies, insects, rats and cockroaches to feast upon. The catering service also leaves waste bins uncovered, unwashed and spilling with leftovers., reported Asian Age.
Other than the food served inside the trains, food items sold on the platforms too are unfit for human consumption as often contaminated, recycled, shelf-life expired packaged and bottled items are sold there.
The CAG report has reportedly blamed the frequent change in catering policy and transfer of responsibility to manage catering units for the mess.
That’s because Indian Railways has the Union Minister has changed its catering policy three times since 2005 with the last policy change announced in February 2017 by Union Minister Suresh Prabhu.
Prabhu, who’s often mocked for being a Twitter minister, has failed to improve the facilities inside the trains. Cleanliness inside the trains even such as Shatabdi and Rajdhani Express have found to be lacking.
The train fares, meanwhile, have continued to soar on a promise that the price rise was needed to improve the infrastructure and facilities.
The Centre’s Modi government had announced its intention to launch bullet trains after it came to power in May 2014. Critics have always highlighted the government’s misplaced priority adding that it ought to have improved the facilities in the existing trains before embarking on its plan for bullet trains.
