Why one biscuit, ask passengers

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Passengers of the Shatabdi Express from Mysore to Chennai spent almost two hours on May Day fighting for their ‘rights’ when they found the caterer supplying just one biscuit on an ‘unclean’ tray instead of the sealed packet containing two biscuits.

Chennai-based fashion entrepreneur Arti Bagdy led a group of almost 70 passengers who insisted on the catering supervisor to produce the complaint book for recording the episode. The denial of one biscuit is just part of a major rip-off by the railway caterers, Ms Bagdy told DC.

“The Shatabdi is a train that we must be proud of for quality and service, but it’s now at the mercy of the caterers who are given huge contracts and are let free to make money at the cost of health of passengers”, she said.

Earlier, the caterer provided two biscuits in sealed pack but now it has come down to one biscuit “served without wrapper and with naked hand of the waiters in dirty plastic trays”, said Ms Bagdy.

When she questioned the waiter, he was rude. After much argument, in which fortunately several other passengers joined in support, the catering supervisor appeared on the scene but he too tried to dodge when the protesters demanded the complaint book to record their grievances.

“He offered a compromise deal of mango juice and two biscuits but we insisted on the book. This was finally brought and we wrote down the complaint with the signatures of many passengers”, Ms Bagdy added.

She said several passengers recalled how they were cheated on the food supplied on their previous trips.

When contacted, a senior railway officer said he would look into the issue and ensure that the catering service improved.