New Delhi: Railway Board Chairman and CEO Satish Kumar has directed the strengthening of passenger feedback, inspection and technology-based monitoring systems to improve the quality and hygiene of catering services across Indian Railways.
Kumar reviewed the functioning of the IRCTC War Room at the IRCTC office, focusing on how passenger feedback, Rail Madad complaints and kitchen operations are monitored.
Rail Madad Complaints to Get Closer Monitoring
During the review, Kumar interacted with the team responsible for monitoring passenger feedback and directed officials to make the existing systems more responsive and technology-driven.
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The Railway Board Chairman specifically called for improvements in the Rail Madad interface to make it easier for passengers to communicate their concerns.
Key directions included:
- Greater automation of the Rail Madad interface
- A simpler, single-click mechanism for passenger communication
- Closer monitoring of complaints
- Direct interaction with passengers wherever necessary
- Faster understanding and resolution of passenger concerns
More Cameras for Railway Kitchen Surveillance
The review also focused on strengthening real-time monitoring of railway catering kitchens through camera-based surveillance.
At present, four camera feeds are available for monitoring kitchen operations. Kumar directed that surveillance be expanded to cover additional areas.
The proposed monitoring measures include:
- Cameras in raw-material storage areas
- Installation of a PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) camera
- Wider surveillance of kitchen operations
- Monitoring of kitchen conditions through live feeds
- Corrective action where deficiencies are identified
A kitchen at Anantapur in South Central Railway was specifically noted during the review as requiring improvement based on inspection and video monitoring.
Roti, Paratha Preparation Under Review
The Railway Board has also identified the preparation of roti and paratha as an area requiring focused attention.
Kumar directed officials to conduct a comprehensive review of the preparation process to identify gaps and work towards consistent quality.
Inspection Agencies Face Greater Accountability
The Railway Board also reviewed the functioning of third-party agencies responsible for inspecting catering facilities.
Kumar directed inspecting agencies to systematically record:
- Deficiencies identified during inspections
- Their inspection performance
- Corrective measures required
- Follow-up action
The data will allow the performance of inspection agencies to be continuously monitored and evaluated.
Agencies found to be consistently ineffective may face appropriate action, including delisting wherever warranted.
AI Alerts to Trigger Corrective Action
The review also examined the use of Artificial Intelligence-based monitoring and detection systems in railway catering.
Kumar directed that AI-generated alerts should lead to follow-up action rather than remain limited to identifying problems.
The system is being used to detect issues such as:
- Rodents
- Cockroaches
- Hygiene deficiencies
- Other catering-related problems
Officials were directed to issue warning letters and take deterrent action wherever such deficiencies are detected.
Focus on Technology and Passenger Feedback
The review places emphasis on combining real-time surveillance, passenger feedback, inspections and technology-enabled detection to monitor catering standards.
The Railway Board said the measures are aimed at improving food quality and hygiene, ensuring prompt action on deficiencies and making railway catering services more responsive to passenger concerns.
