With trains running packed to the brim during the summer holidays coupled with the Lok Sabha poll-induced travel, the Indian Railways has come up with an initiative to satiate the hunger of the common traveller by arranging affordable food on station platforms.
The erstwhile Janata Meal — that was available at affordable prices at catering stalls in stations — has now been brought onto platform counters with some more additions with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) arranging the food supply. Realising the challenges faced by passengers travelling unreserved coaches in getting hygienic and affordable food, the Railways has introduced the economy meal scheme.
Meal counters are conveniently located on platforms where the general second class coaches arrive while over 150 such counters in nearly 100 stations across the Indian Railway network are already operational. In South India, the Southern Railway has arranged opening of over 34 such counters while the South Western Railway has opened five counters to begin with. The numbers will go on increasing as the days come, said the Zones.
Seven stations
The economy meals are made available at seven stations in Karnataka at present: Mangaluru Central and Mangaluru Junction under Southern Railway and KSR Bengaluru, Yeshwantpur, Mysuru, Vijayapura and Ballari under SWR.
As usual, the Janata Khana comprising seven pooris (175 gm) and bhaji (150 gm) is available for ₹20, so is the rice-based economy meal (200 gm curd rice/ lemon rice/ tamarind rice). In addition, the Railways has made available snack meals (350 gm assortment of South Indian rice varieties) at ₹50. Sealed water glass of 200 ml is also available for ₹3 at these counters.
SWR’s Chief Public Relations Officer Manjunath Kanamadi told The Hindu that all major stations in the Zone will get the economy meal counters.
More people on trains
Southern Railway’s CPRO M. Senthamil Selvan told The Hindu that normally more people travel during the summer and the election season has only added to the numbers. “The Janata Meal scheme that was available at catering stalls is now brought on platform counters to help passengers get food with ease,” he said.
At present, five stations in Chennai Division, three in Tiruchchirapalli, four in Salem, two in Madurai, nine in Palakkad and 11 in Thiruvananthapuram Divisions have the facility. The Zone has told Divisional Railway Managers to increase the numbers in consultation with IRCTC, he said.
The passenger response is quite encouraging as the food items get exhausted very fast, Mr. Selvan said.
