The Southern Railways has been conducting a detailed investigation into a complaint raised by a passenger that a small insect was found in the sambar served with his breakfast in Tirunelveli-Chennai Egmore Vande Bharat Express train on Saturday.
According to a press release issued by the Madurai division of the Southern Railways on Sunday, the complaint was given by a passenger travelling in Coach C2 of the train at 0800 hours, shortly after the train departed from Madurai.
The food, supplied by the Tirunelveli-based kitchen managed by M/s Brindavan Food Products, was inspected immediately by the onboard manager, Chief Catering Inspector, Chief Commercial Inspector and Assistant Commercial Manager.
The insect was found stuck to the lid of the casserole container, appearing uncooked, suggesting possible post-preparation contamination.
The railway officials apologised to the passenger, assured strict action against the licensee, and arranged an alternative meal from Dindigul railway station, which the passenger declined.
The contaminated food package was handed over to the Health Inspector at Dindigul for quality checks.
Preliminary inspections of other food packages revealed no abnormalities. A thorough inspection of the mini pantry area, where food packages were distributed, confirmed it was hygienic, with no signs of insect presence.
Further, the Food Safety Officer, Health Inspector and Chief Commercial Inspector from Tirunelveli conducted a joint inspection of the Tirunelveli base kitchen.
Food samples were collected and sent for testing to ascertain the cause of the contamination.
As a result of this negligence, a penalty of Rs 50,000 has been imposed on the catering contractor, and further action is being pursued.
The railway is conducting a detained investigation into the incident, considering all possibilities regarding the source of the contamination.
The railways remain committed to ensuring the quality of food provided to passengers, with regular inspections conducted on trains to monitor food standards.
Passenger complaints were handled promptly through the Rail Madad system, ensuring timely resolution and follow-up, the release added.(UNI)