The Indian Railway Board has inaugurated food counters offering affordable meals near general compartment coaches at over 100 railway stations nationwide, including Ballari and six others in Karnataka.
In Karnataka, these subsidized food counters have been set up at KSR Bengaluru, Yeshwantpur, Mysuru, Vijayapura, and Ballari stations under the Southwest Railway and Mangaluru Central and Junction railway sections under the Southern Railway.
This initiative is a collaboration between the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and Indian Railways, aiming to provide nutritious food to passengers traveling in unreserved coaches.
Previously, low-cost meals were available at station restaurants through the Janatha meals service. Now, these counters are conveniently located on the platforms. Currently, 150 platforms at 100 stations offer this service. Breakfast is available for Rs 20, light meals for Rs 50, and 200 ml of water is priced at Rs 3. This information was provided by the PRO of the railway department.