The Hindu : National : New catering policy for Railways

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Friday, Nov 05, 2004

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National

New catering policy for Railways

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, NOV. 4. The Railway Minister, Lalu Prasad, today said a new catering policy was being introduced to improve the quality, quantity and standards of catering.

Addressing the first meeting of the Consultative Committee of the Members of Parliament for his Ministry, he said the Railways would sell items of daily use such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap strips, band-aids and non-prescription medicines in pantry cars of important trains.

The Railways have also begun using khadi and handloom clothes for bed linen, upholstery, furniture in trains, besides biodegradable cup, plates and `kulhars', for serving tea, coffee, snacks and meals for passengers.

He announced that the Railways earned Rs. 22,001 crores up to September 2004, a surplus of Rs. 481 crores.

Growth

Mr. Prasad told the members that during the first half of the current financial year the growth of passengers registered an increase of five per cent and freight traffic by 1.34 per cent.

Mr. Prasad said the number of accidents during the period came down to 115 compared to 189 during the corresponding period of the previous year.

By 2011-12 all passenger coaches would be fixed with modular toilets which would prevent discharge of waste at stations.

Mr. Prasad said that within a year all air-conditioned coaches would be provided with electrical points for charging batteries of cellular phones and laptop computers. So far, 500 AC coaches have been provided with such facilities.

The Minister said the Technology Mission on Railway Safety has been taken up in the right earnest to focus national attention on modern technologies of monitoring, communication, control, design electronics and material for railway safety.

The members demanded new lines, timely completion of ongoing projects, introduction of new trains and extension of rail services.

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