Cockroach in food served on Vande Bharat; IRCTC slaps fine of Rs 10 lakh

MUMBAI: A cockroach was found in the food served to passengers on Vande Bharat. The dead cockroach was found in the dal rice served during the Ahmedabad-Mumbai journey. The railways took action against the vendor after a Mumbai-based passenger shared pictures and videos on social media.

The passenger pointed that the food was supplied by the vendor M/S Brandavan Food Products, a part of the R K Group. The passenger revealed that there were at least two such cases in his coach making everyone to stop eating.

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has slapped a fine of Rs 10 lakh along with a termination notice to the vendor. His kitchen has been sealed for deep cleaning and pest control. Expressing regret over the inconvenience caused to the passengers, the railways said that the safety and hygiene of the passengers are their top priority.

This is not the first time that such complaints have been raised on premium trains like Vande Bharat. Recently, insects were also found in Amul yogurt.
A customer responded to the incident saying that it is safe to choose the 'no food' option while booking a ticket and instead bring food from home. Passengers said that such continuous lapses are a matter of public health concern and that apologies are of no use.