RBE No. 29/2007: Running Staff – Subsidized Meal/Food in Running Rooms
No.2006/M(L)/467/2, dated 07.03.2007
Sub: Provision of subsidized meal/ food to the running staff in running rooms.
Consequent to the Budget announcement for providing food at nominal rates to the running staff in the running room, the issue of guidelines in this regard has been under consideration. An EDs Committee was constituted by the Board to go into the difficulties being experienced by the running staff in arranging their food at odd hours during the course of their stay in running room and to make recommendations. After considering the recommendations of the Committee, Board have taken the following decision:-
(A) If the quality of contractor supplied food in running room is improved, then large number of existing staff who prefer food prepared from their personal ration are likely to switch over to contract meals. Therefore, it has been decided that 90% cost of a meal supplied by the caterer or Rs.18 per meal including tea, whichever is less, would be borne by railway administration. This subsidy would be an attractive incentive to improve the quality of provision used in the preparation of food in the running room by contactors. Therefore, necessary clauses may be incorporated in future contracts to the effect that 90% of cost of meals or Rs.18 per meal, whichever is less, would be paid to the contractor by the railway administration as a subsidy. Tariff for various menu items should be fixed taking into account this subsidy.
(B) To improve the quality of food, only reputed, branded and agmark certified provision items should be allowed to be used in all such contracts. Stringent penalty should be imposed for non-compliance of these specifications.
(C) The present system of free supply of LPG gas (used for cooking in running room), free furnishing of the kitchen equipments/ other kitchen infrastructure in running room should continue.
(D) While implementing the scheme, no additional expenditure is to be incurred on creation of posts. However, financially self-sustained re-adjustments can be made as per need of new structure in due course of time.
(E) In case Railways feel that it would be difficult to implement the above recommended scheme of making available meals at subsidized rates in departmentally managed running rooms, the services of such running rooms may be outsourced with the approval of DRM.
(F) Periodical supervision regarding the quality of meals at appropriate level and a six monthly audit of the accounts may be ensured.
(G) The tariff should be fixed after taking into account the subsidy and other free supply inputs as indicated in Para ‘C’ above.
(H) Even after the introduction of this scheme, if some staff prefer to have their personal ration cooked in the running room kitchen, then the same may be allowed but no subsidy would be involved in these cases.
(I) This has the approval of president and issues with the concurrence of the Finance Directorate of the Ministry of Railways.
Download Railway Board Circular RBE No. 29/2007
Forward reference ⇒ RBE No.