Aiming to provide hygienic meals to passengers at affordable prices, the Sealdah Division has decided to launch food vans through a public-private partnership model at Sealdah station.
The divisional railway has identified two spots in front of the main station building of Sealdah station for the food vans. While one such van is to be run from the parking lot, the other is to be operated from a spot in front of Sealdah Metro railway station.
The divisional railway has designed a structured five-year contract governing the installation, operation, and strict upkeep of the mobile units emphasising cleanliness of the surroundings and hygiene in food preparation. Licensees are mandated to adhere to rigorous food safety guidelines, maintain zero-compromise hygiene standards, and utilize eco-friendly, biodegradable materials to serve commuters. “The contract has been designed to prevent overcharging by the food vans from the passengers. For this, all packaged items are to be sold strictly at printed MRP. Rates and menu items are pre-approved by divisional authority and prominent rate lists will be displayed at all times,” informed senior divisional commercial manager, Sunil Kumar Mahala.
To encourage a transparent digital ecosystem, every mobile van will feature a prominent “No Bill-No Pay” poster. Operators would strictly require using electronic billing machines and providing QR-code payment gateways for seamless transactions. As learnt from official sources, to align with modern environmental protocols, single-use plastics would completely be banned. In addition, vans will deploy colour-coded, labelled bins for segregated bio-degradable and non-biodegradable waste, lined with biodegradable collection bags.
“The design and placement of the food vans are carefully approved so they seamlessly blend with station aesthetics without obstructing passenger movement or train operations,” said the divisional railway manager of Sealdah, Rajeev Saxena. “To ensure maximum commuter safety, cooking with fossil fuels is strictly prohibited inside these units,” he added.
Earlier this week, the divisional railway launched a similar food van at the parking lot of Kolkata station. After the launch of two more food vans at Sealdah station in a week or so, the facility would be extended to other stations as well.