Railway Minister Piyush Goyal tells catering staff not to seek tips, gives 48-hour deadline to mend ways

The newly-appointed Railway Minister, Piyush Goyal has asked the catering staff of Railways to stop overcharging for food and not to seek tips from the passengers. 

The letters from minister's office were also sent to all zonal railway units across the country, asking them to ensure that the practise is stopped with immediate effect, reported the Indian Express. 

The minister had also given a strict deadline of 48 hours to end the practise. From Monday, the catering inspectors would be checking if Goyal's orders had been executed or not. 

The report further stated that social media would also be monitored to look out for passengers complaining either of overcharging or about waiters asking for tips.

The practise of giving tips has been in existence since the introduction of the Rajdhani Express. Under which, a certain amount of money had been given to a waiter/server as a token of appreciation for his services.  

However, gradually, asking for tips from passengers has become a usual part of the deal, especially in trains, where the price of the meal is all included in the ticket fare.