In a stern response to a serious lapse in catering quality, the Ministry of Railways has imposed a fine of ₹10 lakh on IRCTC and ₹50 lakh on the food vendor after a passenger discovered a live insect in their meal aboard the Vande Bharat Express. The incident occurred on the 15th of this month while the passenger was traveling from Patna to Tatanagar. When the passenger alerted the coach attendant about the insect, the attendant dismissively claimed it was merely a strand of saffron (kesar). Outraged by this response, the passenger recorded a video of the contaminated food and shared it on social media, where it quickly went viral.
A preliminary investigation into the matter revealed that even the curd packet served to the passenger was past its expiry date. Taking a serious view of the negligence, the Ministry of Railways initiated strict financial penalties against the responsible parties. The incident has drawn sharp criticism from social media users, who have urged the Ministry to maintain higher standards of hygiene and food safety for passengers, especially on premium trains like the Vande Bharat Express.
