All existing contracts for mobile catering services providing cooked food to passengers have been cancelled by Indian Railway’s catering and ticketing department. The decision was made in the context of a new normal in which special trains serve ready-to-eat meals.
Indian railways declared in a regulatory filing on Monday that all existing contracts of mobile catering involving scope of providing cooked food to passengers prepared from base kitchens as per the existing terms and conditions have been terminated.
The IRCTC is also directed to regard this case as of exception arising from the pandemic situation rather than as a contractor’s default and has not enforce any fine for not providing catering services as well as return the security deposit (SD) and advance license fee in full after considering the adjusting valid dues if any to be filing.
The Indian railway has also suspended all railway traffic and related services following the Coronavirus outbreak. The IRCTC had allowed passengers to be served ready-to-eat meals as train services gradually resumed in the form of special trains.
The Indian Railways Mobile Caterers Association (IRMCA) had called for the resumption of standard contracts for mobile units in the same way that static units had been operationalized at a reduced license fee. The Madras High Court had ordered that the IRMCA’s representation dated January 4th 2021, be considered and final orders issued on the merits and in compliance with the law.
