The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) formed a two-member committee on Wednesday to investigate the force-feeding of a worker by a Shiv Sena MP in the Maharashtra Sadan canteen run by it, thus breaking his Ramzan fast.
While the committee has been asked to submit its report in three days, sources in the IRCTC said the corporation had decided to shut down its canteen prior to the July 17 incident “as it had been facing some issues even before” and hence is “unlikely to resume services in future.”
“We have been facing similar problems at the canteen for quite some time. We sent an official communication to the Maharashtra Sadan management about our decision to withdraw our canteen services days before this incident occurred. We were awaiting their response,” an IRCTC official said.
The officials, however, refused to provide the exact nature of the “issues”. The IRCTC canteen, which has been operational since the new Maharashtra Sadan was opened, was shut down on Friday, a day after the incident.
Old-timers who had witnessed the functioning of the old Maharashtra Sadan on Copernicus Marg said the then canteen, Yashasvi, was a hot favourite for people even from outside. Even theatre buffs would flock there after watching plays in Mandi House.
“Yashasvi was perhaps one of the only State canteens that were not subsidised. Run by a private contractor, it was known for its Kolhapuri chicken. However, food standards began to dip by 2013. When the new Maharashtra Sadan came up in June last year, Yashasvi was closed and the new canteen was given to the IRCTC,” recounted a protocol staffer at the Sadan.
