Mail News Service
Jamshedpur: The closure of KMA Food Track Restaurant at Tatanagar railway station has escalated to the Railway Ministry, with passengers facing food shortages and irregularities in catering services. District Congress General Secretary Anoop Mishra highlighted the issue by raising a complaint with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav via the Express platform on Tuesday. The minister assured Chakradharpur Division DRM AK Rathore of prompt action to address the inconvenience caused to passengers.
The KMA Food Track Restaurant was shut down on December 18 after failing to pay a license fee of Rs 1.17 crore to IRCTC despite prior notices. Mishra emphasized the need for continuity in catering services, stating, “Passengers would not have faced such difficulties if another restaurant was operational before closing this one.”
Chakradharpur Senior DCM Aditya Chaudhary confirmed efforts to open a Food Plaza restaurant on the platform to mitigate the crisis. Meanwhile, the closure has led to a surge in illegal hawking, with unauthorized vendors selling food and tea sourced from external suppliers, including the base kitchen of the closed KMA restaurant. Passengers reported being overcharged for readymade food sold without quality checks, raising concerns over safety and hygiene standards.
Commuters expressed frustration over the disruption. “The railways should have made alternative arrangements before shutting down the restaurant,” said Man Singh Tudu from Ghatshila. Sonu Alam from Jabalpur echoed similar sentiments, adding, “Passenger convenience should be a priority at a major station like Tatanagar.”
With Tatanagar being a key junction on the Howrah-Mumbai route, many travellers emphasized the need for reliable catering facilities. Himanshu Singh from Jasidih shared his ordeal of arriving late at night and struggling to find food. Ram Lakhan Kumar from Ramgarh criticized the lack of focus on passenger needs at such a prominent station.
