A video showing a rat eating a puff at a food stall inside Surat railway station has gone viral on social media, raising concerns over food hygiene at railway premises.
The video triggered outrage among passengers and prompted railway authorities to seal the outlet. Western Railway has also initiated proceedings against the contractor, including action that could lead to cancellation of the licence.The nearly 30-second video is believed to have been recorded by a passenger around 3.30am on Saturday or Sunday, when the Kolhapur-Ahmedabad Express and Dadar-Ektanagar Express arrive at Surat station.
The video shows a rat eating a puff at the Dinesh Associates Tea Stall on Platform 1 while the passenger records the incident.Western Railway public relations officer Anubhav Saxena said the outlet was sealed immediately after officials were informed about the video.“We sealed the food outlet as soon as we came to know about the video. We have also started proceedings to cancel the licence of the contractor,” Saxena said. He added that an inquiry had been launched and necessary steps would be taken to prevent such incidents in the future. The railway will also decide on the fine to be imposed on the contractor.
The incident comes at a time when Western Railway has been highlighting measures to improve food safety and drinking water quality at its stations. According to the railway, 1,000 food samples were tested between April and August 19, with an overall fitness rate of 98%.