Date: 30-08-2011 by email & post
To,
General Manager,
Western Railways, Head Quarters
Churchgate, Mumbai 400020
Email: gm@wr.railnet.gov.in
Dear Sir,
Subject: Eggs and omlets at Vegetarian Dinning Hall
I happened to visit Vegetarian Dinning Hall on platform No. 3 of Bharuch [Gujarat] railway station on 30-11-2010 at about 7.45 pm for refreshment. I was shocked to see trays full of eggs in vegetarian dinning hall of railways. I being Jain enquired with the contractor/ Incharge as to how eggs are being stored in a vegetarian dinning hall. He informed me that he is permitted by railways to serve omelet and eggs in this vegetarian restaurant and pointed out to menu board which showed these items. I enquired from Dy. Station Superintendent on duty but none of the staff was aware of exact situation.
2 I filed RTI application with CPIO of Railway Board, New Delhi and I have been supplied papers and information by Addl DRM, Vadodara vide his letter No. G542/1/2011/62 dated 23-08-2011.
3. As per copy of agreement for refreshment room / restaurant dated 01-04-1991 with Shri Ismail M. Malek and Railway Administration the licensee [contractor] of Bharuch station is prohibited from serving or cooking or using eggs and products of eggs as per clause No. 21, which reads as under:
“21. The Licensee [s] shall not sell or bring on the premises tinned or otherwise, cooked or uncooked beef or any other part of the cow’s flesh, bacon, ham or pork.
The Licensee [s] shall not serve, cook or use fish, meat or eggs or their products in any form or shape in the Vegetarian Refreshment Room and shall also ensure that cooking vessels and other utensils in the Vegetarian Refreshment Room are not used for cooking or handling these articles. [This will apply to Vegetarian Refreshment Rooms only].”
3. Not only Dy Station Superintendent on duty was not aware of the position of storing, serving or selling eggs and its products in Vegetarian Refreshment Rooms, officers at Vadodara with whom Dy. SS talked on phone on 30-11-2010 and 01-12-2010 were not aware of exact rules regarding this issue. Hence I had to resort to RTI.
4. By a separate RTI application I am seeking copies of inspection reports if any carried by railways of such Restaurants to find out how such serious irregularity affecting religion of passengers could not be located and checked by inspecting officials.
5. There is every possibility that at other stations such Vegetarian Refreshment Rooms may be selling, storing, serving eggs and its preparationdsor such other non-vegetarian items.
6. I shall be shortly consulting advocates for filing a writ petition against railway administration on this issue for connivance or negligence on the part of railways to maintain sanctity of religion of passengers.
7. In case there is change in policy or rules [and CPIO may not be knowing it], at least prominent notice boards outside and inside such halls should be exhibited stating that eggs or its preparations are sold here, so that passengers may decide whether to consume other items in such halls or not. Right to know is a consumers right under Consumer Protection Act.
8. In the mean while I request you to kindly intervene in the matter and ensure that eggs and its preparations are not sold, served or stored in Vegetarian Dinning Halls at any of the stations of Railways, as prohibited in said agreement. I and my friends will be continuously visiting such halls to check compliance with rules of railways by licensees [contractors] on this score.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
J. P Shah
Copy to
1. Chairman, Railway Board, Ministry of Railways, New Delhi 110 001
Email: crb@rb.railnet.gov.in
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