26 Mumbai-bound passengers get food poisoning on Tejas Express: Railways suspends officials, orders inquiry
Railways has ordered an enquiry into the incident and issued a show cause notice for termination of contract to caterer J.K Ghosh (Representational Image, Courtesy: AFP)
Railways has placed an IRCTC officer and the catering manager under suspension after 26 people travelling on-board the Mumbai-bound Tejas Express were taken ill after consuming the food served by its catering wing on Sunday.
Update: Official statement from IRCTC about alleged food poisoning in Mumbai-bound Tejas Express
The suspended officials include the area officer of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) in Madgaon and the on-board catering manager of the Mumbai-Goa Tejas Express.
The officials have been placed under suspension pending a fact-finding committees report and results of test of food samples, railway spokesperson Anil Saxena said on Sunday night.
According to railway officials, the Mumbai-bound passengers complained of uneasiness and nausea after having breakfast served on the train. They were subsequently admitted to Lifecare Hospital in Chiplun over food poisoning concerns.
“A case of food poisoning was reported on train number 22120 Tejas Express upon information from passengers. The train was stopped out of course at Chiplun railway station and treatment was given to passengers by railway doctor,” IRCTC said in an official statement.
All passengers are out of danger.
Meanwhile, Railways has reportedly ordered an enquiry into the incident and issued a show cause notice for termination of contract to caterer J.K Ghosh, responsible for providing food on-board Tejas Express.
The incident comes three months after a CAG audit report said food served by Indian Railways in trains and stations was ‘unfit for human consumption’.
The high-speed Tejas Express, which connects Mumbai and Karmali in Goa, was flagged off by former Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu in May this year.
The train boasts of model amenities like LED TVs, Wi-Fi, celebrity chef menu, tea and coffee vending machines, automatic doors, secured gangways, GPS-based information system, among others.
