New Delhi: The Railways has terminated the contract of a food vendor after a passenger discovered live worms in a packaged curd served onboard the Patna–Tatanagar Vande Bharat Express. The company has also been fined Rs 50 lakh over the incident.
Additionally, the Railway Ministry imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) for failing to handle the matter appropriately.
The incident occurred on March 15, when a group of seven passengers travelling on the Vande Bharat train were served packaged curd of a known brand along with dinner. Upon opening one of the packets, they found live worms and insects inside. One of the passengers, Ritesh Singh, promptly raised the issue on X, tagging IRCTC, the Railway Minister, and other authorities.
According to IRCTC’s incident-cum-action taken report, the curd packet had been sourced from Patna and carried a manufacturing date of March 9, 2026, with an expiry date of April 7, 2026. Officials apologised to the passengers and offered dry fruit mixtures and sweets as compensation.
The report noted that officials attempted to explain the situation and requested the passengers to verify the matter on the spot. However, the passengers declined to delete the post and indicated that they wanted the video to go viral.
Initially, the vendor, Krishna Enterprises, was fined Rs 25,000 and issued a warning for negligence in food handling. The company was also instructed to maintain a proper cold chain, remain vigilant, and strictly adhere to food safety protocols.
However, dissatisfied with IRCTC’s response, the Railway Ministry on Wednesday directed that the vendor’s contract be terminated and increased the penalty from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50 lakh.
In its order, the ministry said, “Considering the gravity of the lapses, the competent authority has decided to impose a fine of Rs 10 lakh on IRCTC for such deficiency in services. IRCTC is advised to ensure strict monitoring of onboard services so as to prevent any such incident in future.”
The ministry further directed all IRCTC supervisors to prioritise food quality, safety, and hygiene.
Posting on X, the ministry stated that the complaint regarding food quality on train number 21896 (Patna–Tatanagar Vande Bharat Express) had been taken seriously. “Action taken — IRCTC has been penalised Rs 10 lakh, the service provider Rs 50 lakh, and the contract has been terminated. Passenger safety and quality remain our top priority,” the post said.
With PTI inputs