NEW DELHI: The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has imposed a penalty of Rs 1 lakh and issued a show-cause notice regarding the potential cancellation of a licence to a catering firm after a passenger reported finding a fly in their meal.The passenger was travelling on the Ahmedabad–Mumbai Tejas Rajdhani Express on Tuesday. IRCTC stated that the catering firm, Araha Hospitality Pvt Ltd, had sourced the meals from its licensed base kitchen in Surat, news agency PTI reported.“The passenger had opted for a combo lunch as an onboard meal. The train captain, along with the on-board catering manager, immediately attended to him when he reported a fly in his veg biryani. He also complained about the poor quality of the food,” IRCTC officials said.“The staff apologised to the passenger for the inconvenience and offered a replacement, which he refused,” officials added.Official documents indicate that IRCTC conducted an inspection of the base kitchen on June 15, and the facility was deep-cleaned on June 18 as per schedule.“The licensee has been warned for lapses observed in meal preparation and packaging and has been advised to take immediate corrective measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents,” the IRCTC stated.The corporation further instructed the firm to ensure the procurement of fresh raw materials, verify ingredient quality, and conduct regular checks on storage containers to prevent contamination.The IRCTC has directed the firm to strengthen its quality control, hygiene, and packaging practices at every stage of food preparation to ensure full adherence to food safety norms.(With agency inputs)
