Why Only Khichdi? The Inside Story of Indian Railways' Delayed Train Meal Policy

• Numerous trains in North India, including Vande Bharat, face significant delays due to dense fog, sometimes up to 16 hours.
• Passengers often receive only khichdi during these delays, leading to dissatisfaction and questions about meal choices.
• The Railway Board's July 15, 2022 order allocates 30 rupees per meal (lunch, dinner, breakfast) to IRCTC for delayed trains.
• IRCTC explains that khichdi is the most feasible meal within the 30-rupee budget, though poha or rajma chawal are occasionally served.
• Dense fog, especially between Kanpur and Delhi, causes low visibility and slow train speeds, impacting states like Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.

Why It Matters: Indian Railways serves khichdi during train delays due to a 30-rupee per meal budget set by the Railway Board.