Vande Bharat Passengers Discover Dead Cockroach in Meal; IRCTC Penalizes Service Provider
Vande Bharat Passengers Discover Dead Cockroach in Meal; IRCTC Penalizes Service Provider
Incident prompts call for stricter food safety measures on Indian trains.
June 21, 2024
Passengers on the Vande Bharat Express reported finding a dead cockroach in their meal, leading to swift action and penalties from the Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC). The incident, which occurred on June 18 during a journey from Bhopal to Agra, was highlighted by a social media post from Vidit Varshney on platform X (formerly Twitter).
Varshney shared a photo of the contaminated food and called for strict action against the food vendor, stating that his uncle and aunt were the affected passengers. The post quickly drew attention and elicited a response from IRCTC, which apologized for the inconvenience and assured that a penalty had been imposed on the service provider.
Today on 18-06-24 my Uncle and Aunt were travelling from Bhopal to Agra in Vande Bharat.
— Vidit Varshney (@ViditVarshney1) June 18, 2024
They got "COCKROACH" in their food from @IRCTCofficial. Please take strict action against the vendor and make sure this would not happen again @RailMinIndia @ AshwiniVaishnaw @RailwaySe pic.twitter.com/Gicaw99I17
In his post, Varshney wrote, “Today, on 18-06-24, my uncle and aunt were travelling from Bhopal to Agra on Vande Bharat. They got a ‘cockroach’ in their food from IRCTC. Please take strict action against the vendor and make sure this would not happen again.” The official support handle for train passengers, RailwaySeva, requested Varshney to share the PNR number and mobile number for further investigation.
Sir, We apologize for the travel experience you had.The matter has been viewed seriously and suitable penalty has been imposed on concerned service provider. We have also intensified the production and logistics monitoring.
— IRCTC (@IRCTCofficial) June 20, 2024
Two days after the complaint, IRCTC responded officially, stating, “Sir, we apologize for your travel experience. The matter has been viewed seriously, and a suitable penalty has been imposed on the concerned service provider. We have also intensified the production and logistics monitoring.”
The post sparked a range of reactions from other users on X.
One user, Nitish Kumar, commented, “If people just see the condition of canteens where food is prepared, most would never order. I prefer to bring home-cooked meals whenever possible.”
Another user expressed scepticism about the effectiveness of complaints, saying, “Whenever a person raises a complaint, the railway asks for details only, and after that, no action at all. Not only food quality but overcharging as well in the pantry. Authorities are well aware of this but not acting due to some ‘other reason’.”
This incident underscores the ongoing challenges faced by the Indian railways in ensuring food safety and quality for passengers. The IRCTC’s prompt response and the imposed penalty reflect a commitment to addressing these issues, though passengers continue to urge for more consistent and stringent measures.
