Rats at IRCTC Stall in Itarsi Spark Outrage, Railway Authorities Promise Action

A video of rats feasting on food at an IRCTC stall in Itarsi Junction railway station, Madhya Pradesh, has gone viral, sparking concerns about hygiene and passenger safety. The video, shared by a self-proclaimed railway enthusiast Saurabh, caught the rodents scurrying around uncovered food items at the stall, prompting him to express disgust and warn against consuming food from railway vendors.

The video quickly gained traction, drawing the attention of railway authorities. Railway Seva, the official Twitter handle of Indian Railways, responded swiftly, assuring Saurabh that immediate action would be taken. They requested his mobile number for faster communication and suggested using the railmadad.indianrailways.gov.in platform or dialing 139 for swift redressal. Additionally, they confirmed escalating the matter to the concerned official of the Bhopal division.

Rats on IRCTC food Inspection Duty 🤢
The Reason why i avoid eating food from Railway Station Vendors!!

📍Itarsi Junction, Madhya Pradesh @IRCTCofficial@AshwiniVaishnaw@RailMinIndia#IndianRailwayspic.twitter.com/8y2eXbb9td

— Saurabh • A Railfan 🇮🇳 (@trainwalebhaiya) January 6, 2024

The Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Bhopal also commented on the post, assuring that the matter has been communicated to the relevant officials for a quick resolution.

Please share your mobile no. preferably via DM to enable us to take immediate action.
You may also raise your concern directly on https://t.co/JNjgaq1zyT or dial 139 for speedy redressal. https://t.co/utEzIqB89U

— RailwaySeva (@RailwaySeva) January 6, 2024

The incident has sparked widespread outrage online, with users questioning the hygiene and safety standards of food served to train passengers. Some emphasized the need for stricter supervision by IRCTC management to prevent such occurrences, while others suggested a personal quality check by officials through daily consumption of the food at these stalls.