Barely a week after a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report said that food served by the Indian Railways is unfit for human consumption, a dead lizard found in the food provided in the train. The incident happened on Wednesday when a passenger on-board Howrah-New Delhi Poorva Express allegedly found dead lizard in his vegetable biryani.
According to a report by NDTV, it was spotted by a group of pilgrims travelling from Jharkhand to Uttar Pradesh when the train was near Patna. When they informed it to the pantry staff, the food was thrown away. They later complained it to the ticket examiner and the pantry car attendant. However, they got no response from the officials after which the complaint was tweeted to Union Minister of Railways, Suresh Prabhu.
Chandauli (UP): Lizard found in food served to a passenger on-board Poorva Express; passenger had complained to Railway Minister on Twitter pic.twitter.com/J7jv4s25j7
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) July 26, 2017
The passenger says he fell ill after consuming the food. He has also alleged that railway officials took four hours to give him medication. “The thing which I regret the most is that I was given medicines really late. I was not given any medication for about four hours,” he told ANI.
The Indian Railways has now removed the caterer of the Howrah-New Delhi Poorva Express after the complaint was tweeted to the rail minister. It has also issued a 48-hour notice and a detailed enquiry into the matter.
The incident sparked taunts and jibes from spokespersons from opposition parties and other users:
Come on, dead lizard hi toh hai. Don’t you know how busy Prabhuji is in transforming railways..thoda adjust kar lo. https://t.co/YlEODg98Mm
— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) July 26, 2017
Now next of kin of dead lizard will be offered railway job !!😀😀😀
— rohit rastogi (@rastogirohit81) July 26, 2017
We only meant swach Bharat. No dead lizard at the ground. 😋 WHo care For you poor man? What is the use? Since you are not a corporate
— Jaseer (@Jazseer) July 26, 2017
Arre free me non veg mil rha hai or kya chaiye but they should fry it. @sureshpprabhu not fair.
— JIJU (@JIJAJIII) July 26, 2017
He is anti national. Doesn’t he know that everything this govt serves is patriotic? Even lizards!
— Zinda Kaartoos (@kaarT00S) July 26, 2017
This is not a lizard this is actually ‘Vikas’ but u anti-national will never understand this
— Modi Bhakt (@Modi_bhakt_hun) July 26, 2017
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