‘Stale’ food makes Rajdhani passengers ill, Babul Supriyo shares experience

Union junior heavy industries minister Babul Supriyo thanks passengers for lodging complaint, saying he too was served bad food on Kolkata-bound Rajdhani Express. Food contractors should be chosen more carefully, he says.

Several passengers fell ill on the Kolkata-bound Rajdhani Express on Monday night after eating suspected stale food served on the train.

Several passengers fell ill on the Kolkata-bound Rajdhani Express after eating suspected stale food served on the train. (HT File Photo)

Angry over the incident, the passengers protested after the train reached Asansol station in West Bengal on Tuesday morning. Many of them said they have not eaten since Monday night.

People vomited after taking the food, and the staff didn’t even clean the toilets and basins, they alleged.

Also, they accused the train staff of ignoring their complaint about the food.

Union junior heavy industries minister Babul Supriyo, the BJP parliamentarian for Asansol, supported the passengers, who lodged a complaint with the railways after the train reached its destination, Sealdah station, later in the day.

“Their grievance is valid. The day before I took the same train to Asansol and had a similar experience. The quality of food was bad. I thank these passengers for making my argument stronger,” Supriyo said.

He promised to take up the issue at a ministers’ meet in the Prime Minister’s home on Tuesday evening.

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), a subsidiary of the railways, hires private contractors for meals to train passengers.

Sealdah station manager Ananda Bardhan assured necessary steps after receiving the complaint.