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NT Bureau
Chennai, Apr 27:

        Reacting to media reports on neglect of South Indian cuisine by the railways, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) regional director

        V Sriram today said standard South Indian vegetarian and non-vegetarian breakfast, lunch and dinner had not been in any way withdrawn and would always be part of the South Indian menu on Indian Railways.

        Speaking to reporters here, Sriram reasoned the necessity of the briefing was to make known the periodic upgradation and modernisation in the catering services and its promotion in trains and also to clarify on the media reports.

        'We would be introducing all the popular items from time to time through a review process of menus at very reasonable cost', he said, adding that IRCTC was further adding a large number of items popular in all the parts of the country, especially the well-patronised South Indian dishes.

        Regarding new projects in the offing, he said tenders for Budget Hotels on public-private participation model with a capacity of about 80-150 rooms, at an estimate cost of Rs 25-30 crore, had already been called for and 16 locations had been identified in the southern zone.

        'Tenders for setting up of such hotels in Rameswaram, Kanyakumari, Madurai and Udhagamandalam were finalised and would be completed by 2008,' he added.

        He further said the railways had proposed to set up a coffee plaza at Tambaram railway station since it is the biggest station.

        'We also propose to introduce Janata Meals with South Indian varieties in Chennai', Sriram added.