Jamshedpur, March 9: Helpers at Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) kiosks in Tatanagar railway station are being forced to starve, as authorities are not paying their due commission.

IRCTC may be planning attractive tourism packages for passengers or considering menu changes in the pantry, but as far as the payment of helpers working in catering stalls are concerned, it has failed to do justice. The staff are thus left to run from pillar to post to get their dues.

Helpers usually assist vendors at kiosks. Post-2005, most vendors operating on railway platforms were absorbed by IRCTC to be engaged in railways catering department, but helpers were left out.

At present, in Tatanagar helpers man platform kiosks. At the Tatanagar station there are 33 such helpers working in 13 kiosks owned by IRCTC.

A station helper conceded that they recently approached higher authorities in the railway board, labour ministry and National Federation of Indian Railways, New Delhi, asking for justice. “The outstanding dues have accumulated to around Rs 24 lakh. If things fail to materialise we would be forced to take legal action,” he said.

Meanwhile, IRCTC officials said the helpers are not entitled to any remuneration.

“Only vendors are supposed to receive commission and not helpers. The vendors give commission to helpers which is the practise in several railway stations including Howrah under South Eastern railway. At Tatanagar, due to absence of vendors in food kiosks, we cannot directly pay the helpers,” admitted Vivek Srivastav, the group general manager of IRCTC.