Worms in curd on Vande Bharat: IRCTC targets Amul after ministry reprimand

The sheen of India’s premium Vande Bharat service has taken another hit after live worms were allegedly found in packaged Amul curd served to passengers aboard the Patna–Tatanagar Vande Bharat Express — raising uncomfortable questions about what exactly travellers are paying for when they shell out premium fares.

Tickets on the semi-high-speed service typically range from around Rs 1,200 to over Rs 2,500, depending on class and sector, positioning Vande Bharat as a flagship upgrade over conventional trains. The expectation is not merely speed, but also airline-style hygiene and service standards. Instead, at least seven passengers on the 15 March service reportedly discovered moving insects inside a sealed curd container served with dinner.

Following a sharp rebuke from the railway ministry, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) said on Friday it has summoned dairy major Amul to explain the “grave quality concerns”.

“IRCTC has viewed the complaints very seriously about the quality of Amul curd served in Patna-Tata Vande Bharat train,” the corporation said in a statement, adding that penalties have been imposed and contract termination proceedings initiated against service provider Krishna Enterprises.

The passenger who flagged the issue, Ritesh Singh, posted images and details on X, tagging the Railway Minister and IRCTC. Amul’s customer care account responded, saying: “We're concerned to know about your experience. Please DM us your contact number, residential address, and the batch number so we can investigate this further.”

IRCTC initially fined the vendor Rs 25,000 for negligence in food handling and instructed it to ensure proper cold-chain maintenance and adherence to food safety protocols — a response that appeared modest for a premium service meant to showcase India’s railway modernisation.

The railway ministry, apparently unimpressed, stepped in on 25 March, ordering termination of the catering contract and sharply escalating the penalty on Krishna Enterprises to Rs 50 lakh. It also imposed a Rs 10 lakh fine on IRCTC for what it termed a serious deficiency in service.

“Considering the gravity of the lapses, the competent authority has decided to impose a fine of Rs 10 lakh on IRCTC for such deficiency in services,” the ministry said, directing stricter monitoring of onboard catering.

Officials indicated that IRCTC’s initial action had been too lenient given the reputational stakes involved for a flagship train positioned as a symbol of modern infrastructure.

Vande Bharat trains have been marketed as evidence of India’s technological progress, combining speed, comfort and improved passenger amenities. But incidents involving food quality threaten to puncture that narrative — particularly when passengers paying near-airfare prices encounter basic hygiene lapses.

For now, IRCTC says Amul has been summoned to respond on 27 March, though the corporation has declined to disclose what explanation, if any, the dairy major has provided so far.

With PTI inputs