It refers to Railway Minister having sweet dreams of No-Tip era in trains with his announcement of some steps to prevent over-charging of food like free food-supply in case no bill is given. But in practice, all this is not at all practical. Only and best remedy is to replace food-serving by sale of packaged food by giving some nominal sale-commission to serving railway-staff. It is indeed very insulting that railway-staff towards end of journey start begging for tips even from foreign tourists which harms image of nation. It is beyond understanding how dream-steps of Railways can practically check begging tips by railway-staff that too at a time when even Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs legalizes tips by allowing service-charge levied in restaurant-bills.
Scope of Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation Limited IRCTC should be increased for manufacturing bakery and other such items by setting manufacturing-units in different parts of country. One-time planned investment will create huge employment-opportunities and increase revenue-earnings for Indian Railways. IRCTC can be allowed to issue bonds for raising funds for the purpose. Items produced by IRCTC can be sold in Indian trains replacing serving of food. Rather IRCTC then can take charge of mid-day-meal in schools where complaints of inferior food and finding dead insects, rats, lizards etc are quite common, apart from selling its products through private vendors and Mother Dairy booths.
Otherwise also, compulsory charging of food-cost in rail-tickets unnecessarily penalizes those who do not wish to avail train-food due to various reasons including peculiar food-choice like without onion and garlic or not taking sweet-dish for being diabetic etc, It is a usual practice that serving staff earns money by selling unused packed food-items like Ice-cream cups left by passengers to others desiring extra either at cost or by way of tips.
SUBHASH CHANDRA AGRAWAL