The Supreme Court of India has mandated prompt corrective actions regarding severe management failures in catering stalls at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, as highlighted in a Central Vigilance Commission report. The Railways must assess the report and implement necessary reforms within specified timelines, addressing identified administrative negligence and enhancing service quality.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has called for immediate corrective steps to address serious lapses in the management of catering stalls at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST). The apex court observed that administrative negligence by IRCTC officials had been highlighted in a Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) report, which must now be acted upon by the Railways.
A bench comprising Justices J K Maheshwari and Aravind Kumar noted that the CVC report indicated “serious negligence” on the part of divisional officials and urged the Railway administration to take necessary action. The court directed that the report be examined and placed before the competent authorities for action within a month and for corrective measures to be implemented within three months.
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In its January 21 ruling, the Supreme Court stated, “The report of the CVC is required to be implemented on the part of the Railways.”
While the CVC report did not indicate “mens rea” to initiate criminal action, it did highlight serious administrative failures that required immediate corrective action. The Supreme Court stressed the need for urgent reforms to improve IRCTC’s administrative functioning and service quality.
The court was hearing an appeal filed by the CBI against a Bombay High Court order. The case originated from a complaint by RTI activist Ajay B Bose, who alleged massive fraud involving seven Central Railway officials.
Bose’s complaint, filed in 2013, accused these officials of siphoning off crores of rupees by undervaluing sales, depositing less revenue than what was generated, overcharging for food items, and allowing vendors to operate without valid licenses—violating the Railway Catering Policy.
A special judge had earlier directed the CBI to investigate the case. However, in May 2017, the Bombay High Court dismissed the CBI’s challenge to the special judge’s order, prompting the agency to appeal before the Supreme Court.
Appearing for Bose, advocate Akash Vashishtha argued that the CVC report confirmed large-scale irregularities in the railway catering system.
“The report, in fact, vindicates the contents of the complaint. The observations made in the report say that there had been complaints against the licensees and that they failed to pay the license fees despite repeated notices,”
Vashishtha stated.
The Supreme Court’s ruling now puts pressure on the Railways to take swift action to rectify these lapses and improve accountability in the management of catering services at railway stations.
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