Jamshedpur, May 23: Dhanbad-based businessman Sunil Kumar Singh is unlikely to forget the taste of the samosa which he had at the food plaza of Tatanagar Railway Station. It had a pungent smell and was stuffed with rotten potatoes.

However, Singh is not the only passenger who complained about the poor quality of food and beverage served at the cafeteria run by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).

Complains have been pouring in for the last few months and there has been a marked increase in the last one month. But no remedial measures have been taken till date.

According to sources, at least 10 passengers visit the office of the station manager or the deputy station superintendent (passanger amenities) everyday to lodge their complains about restaurant.

Rajiv Kumar, another passenger complained to the station master A.K. Chatopadhya about being served with stale food twice. “This is the second time that they served rotten food. When I last came here for a business tour on May 11, they served pungent smelling food. I had taken up the matter with the manager, who had promised to take precautions in future,” said Kumar.

Another passenger found the taste of soft drinks served at the IRCTC plaza “queer”. “The cold drink tastes very different from that available in the market. I informed the manager about it, but he refused to take the matter seriously,” he said.

When contacted, Chatopadhya admitted that there has been an increase in the number of complains about the quality of food and beverage at the cafeteria in the last one month.

“I personally heard the grievances of a number of passengers. A surprise inspection, conducted by deputy superintendent (passenger amenities) Anjani Kumar Rai, along with five officers, also revealed the same,” said Chatopadhya.

It was also found that the staff were without their platform pass and fitness certificates, said Chatopadhya.“I have informed senior railway and IRCTC officials about the problem,” he added.