Small catering vending licenses operating on railway platforms

2445. SHRI KRUPAL BALAJI TUMANE

          SHRIMATI BHAVANA GAWALI PATIL:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has taken cognizance of the problems being faced by small catering vending licenses operating on railway platforms, if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether any review has been done in this regard, if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government has received representations from the Akhil Bhartiya Railways Khan-Pan Licences Welfare Association (Regd.) regarding the grievances and demands of small scale catering vending licenses working on Indian Railway platforms, if so, the details thereof:

(d) whether the Members of Parliament have also recommended to consider and accept the demands of the Association, if so, the reaction of the Government thereto; and

(e) whether the said demands have been examined and agreed to by the Government, if so, the details thereof?

(a) and (b): Yes, Sir. Indian Railways have taken various measures to ease the hardship faced by small licensees/ vendors, which are as under:

(i). The period for which stalls were non- operational during the Covid pandemic was treated as ‘Dies-Non’ and the contracts were extended accordingly.

(ii). Relief in licence fee was given to the licensees taking into account the reduction in traffic volume and passenger footfall at stations.

(iii). Performance security deposit has been reduced from 10% of total contract value to 3%.

(iv). Sale of packed items on Fruit/Juice stalls has been allowed to enhance sales potential.

(v). Zonal Railways have been delegated powers to grant platform vending permissions to the licensee of the static catering units.

(vi). Renewal to the old existing catering licenses of minor static catering units is granted in accordance with Commercial Circular 22 of 2017 and instructions dated 27.08.2019 issued by the Ministry of Railways.

(c) to (e): Yes, Sir. Representations from Akhil Bhartiya Railway Khan- Pan Licensees Welfare Association (regd.) as well as Hon’ble Members of Parliament have been received wherein various reliefs for minor static unit vendors have been sought. These inter-alia included relief in licence fee, renewal of licences of minor catering units, transfer of license to legal heir, scrapping of the tendering system envisaged in Catering Policy 2017, relaxations in GST on licence fee, permission for sale of packed items on Fruit/Juice stalls, platform vending permission, use of cooking gas on platforms and supply of electricity on subsidised rates. These representations/ suggestions have been examined  on merit and action taken accordingly.

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