The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has imposed a penalty of ₹1 lakh and initiated the process to terminate the licence of a catering service provider after a passenger travelling on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai Tejas Rajdhani Express allegedly found a fly in the food served onboard. The action comes after the passenger raised concerns over both the quality and hygiene of the meal, news agency PTI reported.

The incident occurred during the journey when the passenger ordered a combo lunch provided as part of the train’s onboard catering service. Railway officials said the complaint was immediately addressed by the train staff.

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“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 food supplied to him,” officials said.

The onboard catering team responded promptly after being informed of the issue. Officials said the passenger was offered a replacement meal, but he declined the offer, according to IRCTC.

“The concerned staff apologised to the passenger for the inconvenience and offered him a replacement, but he refused,” they said.

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Following the complaint, IRCTC conducted a review of the matter and decided to take strict action against the catering contractor responsible for supplying the meal. The railway catering body imposed a financial penalty of ₹1 lakh and issued a show-cause notice seeking an explanation from the service provider.

“The licensee has been warned for the lapses observed in meal preparation and packaging,” IRCTC said.

The corporation also confirmed that steps have been initiated to terminate the caterer’s licence, reflecting its zero-tolerance approach towards food safety violations and service deficiencies on trains.

Published on: Jun 25, 2026 12:03 PM IST