Railways will endeavour to make available wholesome milk and milk products at all catering outlets, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad said on Tuesday.

Presenting the 2004-05 Rail Budget in the Lok Sabha, he said towards this end, a beginning has been made by serving "mattha" and "lassi".

"Railways are making all out efforts to improve the catering services by serving cleaner, healthier and tastier food to the passengers both at stations and on trains, " Lalu said.

The minister said with a view to providing pure and wholesome products to the passengers and giving employment opportunities to dairy producers, as far as posible, these would be purchased from dairy units of cooperative sector.

As far as other eatables are concerned, with a view to increasing the earnings from the catering contracts, complete transparency and competitiveness would be ensured while awarding contracts, Lalu said.