Vande Bharat Express Food Row: Raw Rice Served to Passenger on Patna-Tatanagar Route

Jamshedpur: The Vande Bharat Express, considered one of the country’s premium trains, has once again sparked controversy over poor catering services. The latest incident involves train number 21894, traveling from Patna to Tatanagar, where a passenger alleged that staff served him raw and cold food. Following the encounter, the passenger lodged a direct complaint with the Railway Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, and the Ministry of Railways via X (formerly Twitter).

According to reports, Varun Kumar, who was traveling from Patna to Tatanagar on Monday, ordered a vegetarian meal. He alleged that when staff finally served the food, they informed him that the regular meals had run out. Consequently, the coach attendant provided a packaged “ready-to-eat” meal as an alternative.

The staff reportedly gave the passenger a ready-to-eat packet, valued at approximately 150 rupees. While instructions on such packets require heating the food before serving, the passenger claims the attendant handed it over cold.

Passenger Allegations

Varun Kumar highlighted several issues in his formal complaint:

• Substandard Quality: He described the food as completely cold and the rice so raw that it was inedible.

• Health Risks: He termed the service a “serious negligence” regarding passenger health.

• Service Standards: He argued that such poor service remains unacceptable in a premium train where passengers pay for superior facilities.

A Recurring Issue

This incident has reignited concerns over the quality of service in the Vande Bharat Express. Notably, this is not the first catering failure on this specific route:

Following the March incident, the Railway Ministry replaced the previous catering agency with “RK Associates & Hoteliers Private Limited.” However, this fresh complaint raises questions about whether the new arrangement has failed to maintain quality standards.