Hungry for solution

Officials visiting the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) canteen have been complaining of unavailability of food. Usually the snacks get over before 4.00 pm, leaving many people hungry and complaining. The poor man's treat, the humble samosas, are literally polished off before they leave the kadai. Even the ubiquitous bottles of carbonated drinks are conspicuous by their absence in these torturous summer days. The joke doing the round in the corridors of IRCTC is that the subsidiary of the Indian Railways (IRCTC handles the catering, tourism and online ticketing operations of the network) is following in the footsteps of its parent when it comes to services and house-keeping.