Central Railway Bans Cooking Activities on Railway Platforms in Pune: Check the list of stations affected

In a move aimed at enhancing safety, the Central Railway (CR) has issued a circular banning all cooking activities on platforms of suburban stations in Pune division, effective immediately. This decision comes after a fire incident at the "Jan Aahar" canteen in Lokmanya Tilak Terminus last December.

The ban applies to all food stalls, regardless of their cooking methods, including:

• Licensed food plazas
• Fast food units
• Jan Ahaar canteens
• Refreshment rooms
• Tea stalls
• Milk stalls
• Other miscellaneous stalls

However, cooking through electrical appliances is still permitted on non-suburban stations.

Stations affected by the ban include:

• Pune
• Shivajinagar
• Khadki
• Dapodi
• Kasarwadi
• Pimpri
• Chinchwad
• Akurdi
• Dehu Road
• Begdewadi
• Talegaon
• Vadgaon
• Kamshet
• Malavli

Reactions to the ban:

• While the CR aims to prevent potential fire hazards, some food stall owners and passenger representatives have expressed concerns.
• Food stall owners worry about the impact on their livelihoods and request alternative arrangements for food preparation.
• Passenger representatives express concerns about potential inconvenience caused by the lack of readily available food options on platforms.

Current Implementation Status:

• While the circular is issued, its complete implementation might still be pending.
• Some food stalls claim they haven't faced any restrictions yet and adhere to safety guidelines with separate kitchen units away from platforms.
• The CR clarifies that the ban applies only to stalls within the circulating area of platforms, not those located outside.