Bombay HC asks Maharashtra govt details of FDA canteen inspections

The Story in Brief

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the Maharashtra government to submit details of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspections at canteens and food outlets run by state and semi-government bodies. The division bench of Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankalkar gave the state until July 31 to file a report covering all such inspections conducted during the ongoing enforcement drive. The order came during a hearing of a petition from a Navi Mumbai five-star hotel that had its FSSAI licence suspended after an FDA inspection.

The petitioner's lawyer argued the FDA suspended the licence without first issuing an improvement notice, claiming the hotel's deficiency score was within acceptable limits. Government pleader Neha Bhide countered that similar action was taken against other establishments, including canteens at BMC, KEM Hospital, and the Cricket Club of India. Separately, the High Court's Aurangabad bench last week stayed suspension orders against certain milk suppliers. The FDA has also sealed five units in Beed district and seized edible oil worth Rs 1.94 crore allegedly being repacked illegally.