Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation penalised the onboard caterer after complaints over Amul curd quality on the Patna–Tatanagar Vande Bharat Express, seeking an explanation from the dairy firm while affirming strict action and commitment to passenger service standards.
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation has taken stringent steps after passengers complained about the quality of Amul curd served on the Patna–Tatanagar Vande Bharat Express. The railways’ catering wing has penalised the onboard caterer and has asked the dairy firm to explain the matter.
In a statement, IRCTC said it treated the complaints with utmost seriousness and acted firmly against the catering licensee.
It said,
“IRCTC has viewed the complaints very seriously about the quality of Amul curd served in Patna-Tata Vande Bharat train,”
The statement added,
“Apart from imposing a hefty penalty, the process of terminating the contract and blacklisting the licensee of the train, IRCTC has summoned the ‘Amul’ on March 27 for explanation about the grave Quality concern related to Amul Curd,”
Officials said IRCTC imposed a penalty of Rs 10 lakh in the case, while the onboard service provider was fined Rs 50 lakh and faces possible contract termination. The incident and the ensuing adverse publicity have revived scrutiny over food standards on premium services such as the Vande Bharat Express, which are promoted as elevated travel experiences.
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In recent years, IRCTC has tightened health and safety protocols for both on-site food preparation and packaging, increasing vendor accountability and introducing tougher penalties and sourcing requirements.
Bringing a major brand like Amul under its accountability measures could indicate IRCTC’s intent to push responsibility further up the supply chain encompassing not only catering vendors but also their suppliers and to strengthen its overall oversight of food quality across approved supply chains.
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