Kochi base kitchen fined Rs 1 lakh, closed: Vaishnaw on firm serving stale food in trains
New Delhi, Jul 30 (PTI): A base kitchen in Kochi was closed and fined Rs 1 lakh following an inspection conducted by a three-member committee comprising officers from the railways and the IRCTC, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday.
He shared this in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha by Congress MP Hibi Eden about a catering unit in Kadavanthra, Kochi, which was found serving unhygienic and stale food to passengers of express trains.
Vaishnaw said the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) regularly floats tenders to select licensees for provision of onboard catering services in trains, as mandated under the extant policy.
"These licenses are awarded through a transparent process, as per the terms and conditions stipulated in the tender documents. Performance review of catering contractors is an ongoing process, which is done by the IRCTC from time to time. Corrective action is accordingly taken in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract," the minister said.
"The base kitchen at Kochi was inspected by a committee of three officers from Railways and IRCTC, following which a penalty of Rs 1,00,000 was imposed and the base kitchen was closed.
Listing various safety measures taken to improve quality, hygiene and food safety, Vaishnaw said meals are supplied from designated base kitchens, modern base kitchens are commissioned at identified locations, CCTV cameras are installed in base kitchens for better monitoring of food preparation, popular and branded raw materials like cooking oil, atta, rice, pulses and masala etc. are used for food preparation and food safety supervisors are deployed at base kitchens to ensure food safety.
Asked whether the government proposes to consider empanelling community-run initiatives like Kudumbashree's Samrudhi network of the Kochi Municipal Corporation to supply food on trains, Vaishnaw said, "Pilot testing with Kudumbashree Samrudhi has also been carried out."
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
