IRCTC bags catering rights for CWG

IRCTC, a Railway PSU, has bagged the rights to provide catering service to sportspersons at the Commonwealth Games venues in the national capital apart from selling tickets online for the event.

"IRCTC will offer catering services to sportspersons as well as team officials as per their dietary requirement during the Commonwealth Games," said a Railway official, adding a special team has been constituted to oversee the food served.

The catering service will be provided by IRCTC in about eight sporting venues during the course of the event which begins on October 3, the official said.

The railway subsidiary had earlier got the contract of Rs 12 crore to become the official ticketing agency for the Games and will develop a dedicated website for issuing tickets of the event.

The official said a nodal office has also been set up by IRCTC which will oversee the entire catering operation and hold consultations with nutrition experts and others.

Entertaining the spectators with mouth-smacking delicacies is another department that IRCTC is eyeing, the official said.

Chipping in to make the Games popular across the country, Indian Railways has also decided to run a special Commonwealth Games train touching about 60 stations.

The train will trudge on the routes through which the Queens Baton Relay will pass and the timings of the halt will coincide with the relay, the official said.

The train which will be dedicated to the themes of youth, sports and information technology, will comprise 14 coaches, bringing alive the spirit of Commonwealth Games in its varied hues.