5 hours ago
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A passenger's Vande Bharat train journey turned unsavoury when he found insects in the meal served to him. Visuals shared on social media showed black insects floating in sambhar served in an aluminium container.
Several passengers on the same train - travelling from Tirunelveli to Chennai - complained that even though the train service was good, the food provided was not satisfactory.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore shared one such video and sought to know what steps were being taken to address the issue.
"Passengers have raised concerns over hygiene and IRCTC's accountability. What steps are being taken to address this and ensure food safety on premium trains?" he posted on X.
Dear @AshwiniVaishnaw ji ,live insects ? were found in the food served on the Tirunelveli-Chennai #VandeBharatExpress
Passengers have raised concerns over hygiene and IRCTC's accountability.
What steps are being taken to address this and ensure food safety on premium trains? pic.twitter.com/auR2bqtmip
The railways responded to the complaint and said that an "immediate investigation was conducted" and the food package was handed over to a health inspector at Dindigul station.
The investigation found that the insect was stuck on the lid of the food package, the railways said.
It also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the service provider for this incident.
Railways is committed to ensuring the quality of food and passenger complaints are being resolved promptly, it said.
This is not the first such instance reported from a Vande Bharat train. A few months ago, a man claimed on social media that he found a cockroach in his meal.
Vande Bharat trains - a medium-distance superfast express service - are a part of the 'Make in India' initiative by the government. High Speed, enhanced Safety standards and world-class Service are the hallmarks of this train, according to the Ministry of Railways.
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