The new Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu appears enthusiastic to promote local flavours in specific regions, a-la Lalu Prasad who had tried to promote ‘matka’ (small earthen pot) to sell curd on trains.
If Mr. Prabhu’s wishes are realised, one could look for stalls selling “Konkani meva” (Konkan region cuisine) being sold at railway stations and on trains on the Konkan Railway network. During his recent meting with the Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd. (KRCL) officials, the Minister had asked the corporation to promote the sale of local produce through catering stalls at various stations.
The Konkani meva, which includes cashew nuts, kokum juice, sweetmeats made of mango and jackfruit, among others, should be widely promoted, said a release from KRCL. Mr. Prabhu also wanted more number of stalls at major stations selling the juice made of kokum, a minor forest produce.
The move, besides introducing the Konkani meva to commuters, could boost the manufacturers of such products, a majority of which are home-based producers. The corporation was planning to implement the instructions of the Minister and to start an exclusive catering stall/ restaurant at Ratnagiri station for Konkani cuisine, the release said.
