Century-Old Bhopal Junction Becomes Sixth Station To Get 4-Star Certified 'Eat Right' Status By FSSAI

The Ministry of Railways took to Twitter to announce that Bhopal Junction has been awarded the 4-star "Eat Right Station" certification by the Food Safety and Standard Association of India (FSSAI). The certification is provided in recognition of the station's services of providing passengers with high-quality nutritious food. Out of the thousands of stations in India, only six have been granted this status so far, and the century-old Bhopal station is one among them. Praising the station's efforts, the ministry tweeted that the 4-star rating indicates full compliance by the station to ensure safe and hygienic food is available to passengers.

The certification is part of a larger movement that aims to transform the food system followed by Indian Railways. It is an attempt to tackle the long-time complaints posed by passengers and netizens about the poor quality of railway food. Under the criteria posed by the certification, a 4-star indicates compliance of the station to food safety and hygiene measures.

Complying to Food Safety & Hygiene at stations!

Bhopal Junction Railway Station of West Central Railway has been certified as 'Eat Right Station' with a 4-star rating by @fssaiindia pic.twitter.com/tQ8zPwL0qL

— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) November 9, 2022

Facelift For Century-Year-Old Railway Junction

While such a move was expected to reflect in newly developed stations, the century-old Bhopal Junction Railway Station has positively taken people by surprise by becoming a part of the movement and transforming their food milieu. Railway sources, while announcing the promising news, added that Bhopal junction serves as the connecting point for pilgrims from across Asia, who come to visit the world-famous heritage site - Stupa of Sanchi.

The junction witnesses operations of over 200 passing through and originating trains on daily frequencies. With the large tourist inflow at the railway station, Bhopal junction was selected as one of the stations that would be redeveloped with world-class facilities. Working actively toward this goal, the station is now accessible through disable-friendly infrastructure, has ISO 9001: 2000 certification, and is the country's first railway station to have a sanitary napkin vending machine.

Other 'Eat Right' stations in India

FSSAI is an apex food regulatory body that functions under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Certification from these official bodies accounts for a reliable and accountable service, and that has been ensured through the 'Eat Right Station' status given to the selected stations. According to an article by the New Indian Express, it is awarded after an FSSAI-empaneled third-party audit agency rates them on a scale of one to five based on 240 parameters such as food storage and hygiene practices. As per official statements, the status sets forth a benchmark in providing high-quality, nutritious, and sustainable foods to passengers.

Besides Bhopal, five other railway stations have been granted the 'Eat Right Station' certification, including Anand Vihar Terminal in Delhi, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and the Mumbai Central railway stations in Mumbai, Vadodara Railway Station in Gujarat and the Chandigarh Railway Station in Punjab. The Chandigarh Railway station was the fifth such station that secured a 5-star ranking in September 2021, and a year later, Bhopal Junction secured its place with a 4-star ranking. It has been welcomed as a positive move toward ensuring passenger welfare.

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