Executive Summary:
The Ministry of Railways addresses concerns regarding corruption in IRCTC, raised in Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2777, answered on August 6, 2025. The response details measures taken to improve food quality and hygiene, ensure transparent tendering processes, and address complaints. Monitoring systems and compliance measures are in place to prevent unethical practices.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Measures to Improve Food Quality and Hygiene:**
* Commercial Circular No. 24 of 2023 mandates awarding contracts for clusters of trains instead of individual trains.
* Emphasis is placed on infrastructure development and end-to-end accountability.
* **Tendering Process and Contract Allocation:**
* Tenders are awarded through a transparent process to the highest bidders.
* 24 bidders participated in tenders, and 20 entities have been awarded contracts.
* No contract was awarded in contradiction of tender conditions.
* Details of Letters of Award (LOA) are published on the IRCTC website.
* No successful bidder has received 80% of Cluster A contracts.
* **Complaint Handling and Monitoring:**
* Representations, suggestions, grievances, and complaints are continuously examined.
* Penalties of Rs. 13.2 Crores were imposed in 2024-25 due to complaints.
* Complaints are continuously monitored on the RailMadad Portal.
* **Meal Services:**
* Approximately 16.5 lakh meals are served daily on the Indian Railways network.
* Continuous efforts are made to improve overall passenger services.
Impact Analysis:
* **IRCTC:**
* Impact: Must adhere to transparent tendering processes and robust monitoring systems. Required to address complaints received and ensure compliance with established guidelines.
* Action Required: Maintain transparency in awarding contracts, implement robust monitoring systems, and address complaints promptly.
* **Contractors:**
* Impact: Subject to compliance measures and monitoring to prevent unethical practices. Liable to penalties for non-compliance.
* Action Required: Adhere to tender conditions, maintain ethical practices, and ensure food quality and hygiene.
* **Passengers:**
* Impact: Expected to benefit from improved food quality, hygiene, and service.
* Action Required: Utilize the RailMadad Portal to lodge complaints and provide feedback.
* **Ministry of Railways:**
* Impact: Responsible for overseeing IRCTC's compliance with established policies and addressing concerns raised by stakeholders.
* Action Required: Continuously monitor and improve overall services to passengers, address complaints, and ensure that the tendering process remains transparent.
Key Entities Referenced
Members of Legislative Assembly: Elected representatives in the legislative assembly of a state or territory in India.
Commercial Circular No.24 of 2023: A set of instructions issued by the Ministry of Railways to improve the quality and hygiene of food in trains.
RailMadad Portal: A portal used for monitoring complaints related to Indian Railways.
IRCTC: Indian Railway Catering Tourism Corporation Limited, a public sector undertaking that handles catering, tourism and online ticketing operations of the Indian Railways.
Ashwini Vaishnaw: Minister of Railways, Information Broadcasting and Electronics Information Technology.
Ministry of Railways: The government ministry responsible for overseeing the Indian Railways.
Lok Sabha: The lower house of the Parliament of India.
Members of Parliament: Elected representatives in the Parliament of India.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2777
TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.08.2025
COMPLAINTS OF CORRUPTION IN IRCTC
†2777. SHRI SANJAY HARIBHAU JADHAV:
SHRI OMPRAKASH BHUPALSINH ALIAS PAVAN RAJENIMBALKAR:
Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:
(a) the details of the steps being taken by the Government to remove
corruption in IRCTC;
(b) the reasons for not taking action on the complaints given by Members of
Parliament, Members of Legislative Assembly and public representatives
against mobile catering clusters allotted by IRCTC;
(c) the reasons for awarding more than 80 per cent contracts in cluster-A
Khanpan trains to only one family;
(d) the reasons for allotting contracts to big contractors by IRCTC in
contradiction of rules despite criminal cases are pending against them;
(e) the action taken by the Government thereon;
(f) whether only one affidavit is required from contractors while allocating
catering contracts by the Railway Administration, if so, the details thereof;
and
(g) the details of total number of such allotment came to the notice of the
Government and the action taken thereon?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND
ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)
(a) to (g): With the objective of bringing about improvement in quality and
hygiene of food in trains, Ministry of Railways issued instructions vide
…2/--2-
Commercial Circular No.24 of 2023. It is envisaged to award contracts for
clusters of trains in place of an individual train. Emphasis has been placed on
infrastructure development and fixing end-to-end accountability of food
production and services onboard.
Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) has
undertaken tendering of these clusters of trains under the framework of the
extant policy guidelines. Tenders have been awarded through a transparent
process to the highest bidders as per the terms and conditions stipulated in
the tender documents. Robust monitoring systems and compliance measures
have been put in place by IRCTC to prevent any unethical practices or unfair
advantages to any contractor.
A total of 24 bidders participated in the tenders for clusters of trains floated
by IRCTC, out of which 20 entities have been awarded contracts by IRCTC.
No contract was awarded by IRCTC in contradiction of the tender conditions.
The details of Letters of Award (LOA), issued to multiple service providers,
are published on the website of IRCTC. None of the successful bidders has
got 80% of the Cluster A contracts awarded till date.
Receipt of representations, suggestions, grievances, complaints etc. from
stakeholders, elected representatives, catering associations, individuals etc.
by Railways at various levels is a continuous and dynamic process. These
concerns are examined on merits and necessary action is taken accordingly.
In 2024-25, Rs. 13.2 Crores of penalties were imposed on complaints
received by IRCTC. Further, complaints are continuously monitored on
RailMadad Portal.
…3/--3-
On an average, 16.5 lakh meals are served per day on the Indian Railways’
network. It is the endeavour of Indian Railways to ensure smooth and
uninterrupted services of such a large volume of meals to passengers.
Necessary measures are accordingly put in place from time to time to
improve overall services to passengers.
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