Passengers of Kolkata-bound Rajdhani Express on Tuesday staged protest at Asansol and Sealdah after at least half-a-dozen of them fell sick after eating stale food on board.
Irked passengers who staged a demonstration at the Station Manager’s office in Sealdah station complained that the eatable they were served with was moldy to the extent that “we could even notice some whitish worm like-things in the food that was provided to us.”
After consuming the food the passengers of B8 and B9 fell sick, sources said. “Our issue was not addressed to by the authorities charged with supervising things in the train,” a woman passenger said.
The angry passengers held up the train at Asansol and only left for Kolkata after lodging a police complaint with the local GRP.
While Asansol MP and Union Minister Babul Supriyo stood by the passengers saying he would take the issue up with Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu the apathy of some Eastern Railway officials could be gauged from the kind of explanation they had to offer.
“Today I would attend a council of Ministers’ meeting at the Prime Minister’s house where I would discuss the matter with Railways Minister. It is true that the quality of the food in Rajdhani is very bad sometimes. I thank the passengers for their protest. The agitation has made my case stronger,” Surpiyo said.
Notwithstanding some Railway officials tendered an apology as deficient as the quality of the food served to the passengers who paid for the service. They said “it is a one-off incident considering the fact that only about six out of 1,200 hundred passengers traveling in the train complained of such kind of food.” He however said the Railways would look into the matter.
Eastern Railways CPRO Rabi Mahapatra however promised action, saying the matter would be investigated with all seriousness.