Kamakhya–Howrah Vande Bharat sleeper goes non-veg with Bengali, Assamese-style rooster curry | Kolkata Information – The Instances of India

KOLKATA: Bengali- and Assamese-style rooster curry turned accessible on the Kamakhya-Howrah Vande Bharat sleeper from Sunday, days after a “veg-only” menu whipped up a political row.The “non-veg” menu, nonetheless, was restricted to rooster solely. Within the vegetarian menu, paneer masala would substitute the rooster. The complete unfold consists of jeera corn pulao, tehtar paratha, a combined arhar–moong dal, Assamese-style beans and rosogolla for dessert.Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw introduced the introduction of non-vegetarian meals on the long-lasting prepare on Sunday. The railways launched the fare quickly after.Uday Shankar Jha, principal chief business supervisor, Japanese Railway, instructed TOI: “Non-vegetarian fare was accessible on the Kamakhya-Howrah Vande Bharat since Sunday.”IRCTC, in an order dated Jan 31, stated: “Primarily based on passenger suggestions acquired in prepare 27575-76 dated Jan 29, 2026, it was determined that, for the non-vegetarian possibility, solely a rooster dish (50-60 gms boneless and 70 gms gravy) shall be served rather than a vegetarian dish beneath sleeper VB with impact from 1.2.2026 from each ends, Kamakhya and Howrah. The remainder of the menu stays the identical as vegetarian. The revision was finalised to make sure uniformity in meal service, higher passenger comfort and streamlined operational implementation throughout the route.“The IRCTC order added: “In view of the above, it’s requested that the identical might kindly be apprised to the Railway Board for needed updating within the ticket reserving/meal choice possibility within the reservation system, in order that passengers are clearly supplied with the right possibility on the time of reserving tickets.”The prepare, flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Jan 17, commenced its common run from Kamakhya station in Guwahati on Jan 22 and from Howrah the subsequent day. Nonetheless, a piece of passengers raised the difficulty of “solely vegetarian” meals being served on board the 6-day-a-week in a single day prepare.Trinamool additionally raised the difficulty and accused BJP of “policing plates”. Whereas TMC and different opposition events in Bengal continued to step up the warmth on the govt. for “making an attempt to regulate meals habits”, Bengal BJP stayed away from the controversy, claiming that Railways decides the menu on the prepare. Junior Union minister Sukanta Majumdar, nonetheless, spoke to Vaishnaw final week to start out non-vegetarian meals, conserving in thoughts the meals habits of the individuals in Bengal.Earlier, the railways had promised that the meals served to passengers on board the Vande sleeper can have the flavour of Assamese delicacies for the prepare departing from Kamakhya and the native delicacies of Bengal for the prepare departing from Howrah. The native cuisines of each Bengal and Assam have a heavy imprint of non-vegetarian dishes, together with each fish and meat preferences.