Railway Minister Piyush Goyal ordered that asking for tips from rail passengers by the catering staff and overcharging for food be stopped within 48 hours. In accordance with this mandate, letters have been sent to all zonal railway units across the country, asking them to ensure that the practice is terminated with immediate effect.
Railways has been trying to tackle the problem of overcharging by the catering staff since the last few years, but until now, there was no strict deadline. The issue of tips has never before been made into a policy to be followed and there was no strict rule beyond advising the catering staff to not ask for tips and passengers to not encourage it.
After Goyal’s orders and the Rail Ministry’s directive, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has communicated an ultimatum to its catering contractors. It has also been specified that any violation of this rule will invite heavy penalty.
Railways’ catering inspectors have been stationed to check if the practices are still prevalent. Social media platforms will also be continually monitored to look out for passengers complaining either of overcharging or about waiters asking for tips.
