The IRCTC said that the catering firm, Araha Hospitality Pvt Ltd, had picked up meals for all passengers from its licensed base kitchen at Surat.
IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: ANI Photo
Key Points
- The action followed a passenger’s complaint of a fly in his veg biryani on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai Tejas Rajdhani Express.
- The catering firm was warned for lapses in meal preparation and packaging and advised to take immediate corrective measures.
- IRCTC has directed the firm to strengthen quality control, hygiene, and packaging practices at all stages.
- The incident highlights ongoing efforts to improve food quality and hygiene on Indian Railways, which serves 16 lakh meals daily.
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) has imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh and served a show-cause notice for termination of licence to a catering firm after a passenger complained of a fly in a meal served to him.
The passenger was travelling by the Ahmedabad-Mumbai Tejas Rajdhani Express on Tuesday.
“The passenger had opted for a combo lunch as an onboard meal. The train captain, along with the on-board catering manager, immediately attended to him when he reported a fly in his veg biryani. He also complained about the poor quality of food supplied to him,” IRCTC officials said.
“The concerned staff apologised to the passenger for the inconvenience and offered him a replacement, but he refused,” they added.
The IRCTC said that the catering firm, Araha Hospitality Pvt Ltd, had picked up meals for all passengers from its licensed base kitchen at Surat.
Documents showed that IRCTC officials conducted an inspection on June 15 and the base kitchen was deep-cleaned on June 18 according to the schedule.
“The licensee has been warned for the lapses observed in meal preparation and packaging and has been advised to take immediate corrective measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents in the future,” the IRCTC said.
It added, “The licensee has been instructed to ensure procurement of fresh raw materials with adequate shelf life and to verify the quality of all ingredients before use.
Further, regular checks of the air-tightness and condition of storage containers used for rice, pulses, atta, spices and other food items have been emphasised to prevent contamination and maintain product quality.”
The IRCTC has directed the firm to strengthen quality control, hygiene and packaging practices at all stages of food preparation and handling, and to implement effective preventive measures to eliminate the possibility of foreign objects entering food products, thereby ensuring compliance with prescribed food safety standards.
Officials from the Railway Ministry said that 16 lakh meals are served per day on average on the Indian Railways network, and necessary measures are put in place from time to time with the objective of bringing improvement in the quality and hygiene of food in trains and to improve overall services for passengers.
