The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has imposed a penalty of ₹1 lakh on a catering contractor after a passenger allegedly found a fly in the vegetarian biryani served onboard the Ahmedabad-Mumbai Tejas Express.
The incident came to light when passenger Sumit Mehrotra, travelling on Train No. 82902, shared photographs of the meal on social media. In a post critical of the onboard catering service, he sarcastically thanked IRCTC for “serving quality food with fly and insects” and described the experience as “pathetic service with higher cost.” He also tagged Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in his post.
According to railway officials, the train captain and the onboard catering manager promptly apologised to the passenger and offered a replacement meal. However, Mehrotra declined the offer.
Following the complaint, IRCTC initiated an inquiry into the matter and subsequently imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh on the catering contractor for lapses in food quality and hygiene standards.
The corporation has also issued a show-cause notice to the caterer, asking why its vending licence should not be cancelled. In addition, the contractor has been directed to procure fresh raw materials and strengthen quality-control mechanisms.
As part of the corrective measures, IRCTC has instructed the caterer to carry out rigorous inspections of storage containers used for rice, pulses, flour, spices and other food ingredients to prevent similar incidents in the future.
IRCTC said it remains committed to maintaining high standards of food safety and passenger service on its trains and will continue to take strict action against any violations of hygiene norms.