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IRCTC should set up units in all districts of the country for producing packaged food for mid-day meal and trains

Kashmir Times. Dated: 12/6/2019 12:01:10 AM

Dear Editor,
It refers to yet other shocking news now about dead rat found in mid-day meal programme for school-children in Muzaffarnagar (UP). Such complaints are routine in largest such programme in the world covering about 12 crore children. Complaints of unhygienically prepared cooked food are also routine in food served in trains.
System should be to provide only packaged food under mid-day meal programme and trains. It will also take care of peculiar food-habits of people in general like food without onion and garlic. Members of Civil-Society have expressed fear that accepting suggestion to provide packaged food from private companies in Mid-Day meal-scheme is on behest of influential private sector. Instead government can motivate companies to provide packaged food under Corporate-Social-Responsibility (CSR) provision for corporates.
Best is to set up units Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) in every district of the country which may also produced baked items. IRCTC packaged-food products then can be provided as mid-day meal and for train-passengers where also cooked food may be discontinued to be served because of frequent such complaints in food served in trains. IRCTC products then can be sold in open market also. Initial funding required for such mega-project can be generated through long-term bonds either in form of Voluntary-Disclosure-Scheme or with lucrative interest-rate of say nine-percent per annum.
—Madhu Agrawal,
1775 Kucha Lattushah
Dariba, Chandni Chowk Delhi.