Kochi: For many, a train journey is not complete without sipping a hot tea or coffee though the contractors serving food on board never bother to provide sugar-free tea as it would make their job a bit difficult. Not any more! The Catering Inspectors and Commercial Inspectors in the division will travel on popular trains starting from Friday for the next two weeks to ensure that the demand of commuters is met.
The contractors of pantry cars too would face penal action if the commuters complain of the non-availability by dialing ‘138’. The “tea issue” was a hot topic during the Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee Meeting held on Tuesday.
“We are surprised by the fact that the complaints of non-availability of sugar-free tea topped those on food matters. The passenger associations too raised the issue during the DRUCC meet. Now we’ve decided to initiate penal action against catering contractors like levying penalty upon denying request of commuters for a sugar-free tea. So far we’ve initiated such action only for offences like overpricing and bad behaviour,” said V.C. Sudheesh, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager.
The top official said, “The only job of the inspectors for the next two weeks is to ensure the demand of the commuters is met. After that we hope it would be a practice.” The stalls at stations too will serve sugar-less tea upon demand. Already notices intimating commuters about the availability were pasted outside stalls in stations like Ernakulam."
The quality of tea and coffee too will improve as the contractors are advised only to use branded items. (Bru, Nescafe for Coffee and Brooke Bond and Tata for Tea) Meanwhile, surprise inspections will be done to check quality of food served abroad trains on Friday as part of the week-long ‘Rail Humsafar’ programme.
