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NEW DELHI: Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation has launched an enforcement drive against unauthorized e-catering websites and mobile applications operating across the railway network to protect passengers from substandard food, privacy risks, and financial deception. The state-run catering arm confirmed it has moved beyond administrative warnings to pursue direct legal proceedings against entities running unapproved operations and misusing the agency brand name to conduct commercial trade. The enforcement effort seeks to curb food quality violations, financial malpractices, and data mishandling stemming from illegitimate vendors intercepting passenger orders on train routes nationwide.
Threat to Passenger Health, Hygiene Standards, and Data Protection
The proliferation of unapproved food delivery aggregators poses immediate threats to passenger safety, hygiene, and general wellbeing. These unregulated entities routinely procure meals from unlicensed food businesses that fail to adhere to standards prescribed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. Such establishments frequently prepare meals under unhygienic conditions, utilize untrained staff, and deploy delivery personnel without mandatory medical certifications. Beyond severe sanitary risks, unverified applications present critical dangers to user privacy and digital financial security. Passengers sharing private booking details, including Passenger Name Record numbers, email addresses, phone contacts, and electronic banking credentials, face exposure to phishing operations, identity abuse, and monetary fraud.
Consumer Grievances, Lack of Redressal, and Revenue Leakage
Commuters engaging unregulated delivery vendors face significant commercial vulnerabilities, such as sudden order cancellations, extended delivery delays, or complete delivery failures. The total absence of formal customer support and grievance handling procedures leaves affected passengers without clear channels to secure refunds or pursue appropriate legal compensation. The railway agency underscored that these irregular setups also generate broader statutory and economic repercussions. While the public catering provider remits regular Goods and Services Tax on platform revenues, unregulated network operators bypass the formal regulatory framework to evade mandatory tax dues. This conduct distorts market competition, weakens operational compliance, and deprives the public exchequer of valid fiscal collections.
Expansion of Official Food Delivery and Vigilance Advisory
Through its authorized platform, the catering corporation continues to operate an expansive distribution model designed around customer convenience, menu accessibility, and individual choice. The regulated network supplies regional specialties, traditional Indian dishes, fast-food staples like pizzas and burgers, alongside scheduled deliveries of cakes and occasion-specific items for celebrations during transit. Meal rates remain market-oriented, allowing independent restaurant partners to establish individual menus and competitive price levels according to passenger preferences and budgets. To avoid personal data exposure and sub-par supplies, passengers are advised to order meals exclusively via the official internet portal, the authorized Food on Track mobile software, or certified aggregators. The enterprise urges travelers encountering illegal vendors inside coaches or station facilities to report the infractions to the Railway Protection Force helpline.
