Western Railway Fines Bandra Stalls Up to Rs 1 Lakh in Food Hygiene Drive

Railway authorities penalized catering outlets at Bandra Terminus and Bandra railway station during a 10-day hygiene and cleanliness inspection drive conducted across Mumbai between August 15 and 24.

Western Railway imposed its highest penalty of Rs 1 lakh on a tea stall operated by M/s Mahendra Jain at Bandra Terminus, situated on Platforms 2 and 3. The stall was permitted to resume operations on August 20 after completing corrective measures, paying the penalty, and passing a mandatory compliance check. At Bandra station, a juice kiosk operated by Om Prakash Chandra Sen on Platforms 4 and 5 was fined Rs 50,000 and reopened following verification on August 24.

The enforcement drive targeted food safety and sanitation across Western and Central Railway networks, covering a total of 106 catering establishments. Western Railway's Mumbai Central Division shut down 39 outlets during the inspections and collected Rs 3.80 lakh in penalties from vendors.

Out of the 39 shut outlets on Western Railway, 20 were subsequently allowed to reopen after operators corrected violations, settled fines, and cleared formal compliance inspections. Nineteen outlets remain closed pending corrective action and verification. These pending closures comprise seven tea stalls at Surat, six at Vapi, three at Valsad, two at Borivali, and one at Dadar.

Central Railway's Mumbai Division also conducted inspections between August 15 and 24, checking 53 stalls and taking action against six. Three outlets were ordered to remain closed for 10 days, and penalties totaling Rs 12,000 were imposed for cleanliness and food-handling violations.

The crackdown followed a review by the IRCTC chief into food quality and hygiene at Mumbai railway catering facilities. Railway officials from both zones stated that inspections will continue to ensure compliance with prescribed operational and sanitation standards.