- Bombay High Court questions FDA’s 98% rating for the Mantralaya canteen.
- Court calls the cleanliness score “laughable” after photographs reveal hygiene issues.
- FDA directed to reinspect the canteen in the presence of four lawyers.
- Bench says food safety enforcement must be “fair, impartial and uniform”.
GG News Bureau
Mumbai, 31st July: The Bombay High Court on Friday reprimanded the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over its 98 per cent cleanliness rating for the Mantralaya canteen, questioning whether the regulator was applying different standards to government establishments and private eateries.
A Bench of Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad termed the near-perfect rating “laughable” and directed a fresh inspection of the canteen at Maharashtra’s State Secretariat.
The court questioned whether the FDA was targeting private establishments while taking a more lenient approach towards government-run facilities. It stressed that the regulator must be “fair, impartial and uniform” while inspecting hotels, restaurants and other food establishments.
The observations came as the court dealt with a case involving a private hotel in Mumbai’s Fort area whose licence was revoked after it received a score of only 37 per cent.
HC Questions ‘Flawless’ Rating
During the hearing, the Bench rejected the government counsel’s contention that no insects were found inside the Mantralaya canteen.
“Flies or cockroaches are found even in major five-star hotels. Then, how can the Mantralaya canteen be so flawless,” the court observed.
The Bench also expressed dissatisfaction over the FDA relying on photographs of the canteen and flagged irregularities in the inspection reports.
Photographs placed before the court reportedly showed a broken drainage pipeline, stagnant water, leaking taps, unhygienic flooring and a dirty refrigerator defrost compartment.
After viewing the photographs, the High Court remarked that “even a shoe rack is cleaner than this.”
Fresh Inspection Ordered
The court directed an FDA team, accompanied by four lawyers, to conduct a fresh inspection of the Mantralaya canteen to independently assess hygiene and food safety conditions.
The Bench stressed that inspections must be transparent and that government and private establishments cannot be subjected to different standards.
Ahead of the fresh inspection, cleanliness measures at the Mantralaya canteen were visibly stepped up. Staff members were seen wearing gloves and hairnets, while food items were covered with new protective mesh screens.
FDA officials subsequently reviewed food quality, sanitation practices, canteen management and compliance with food safety regulations.
Notices to Mantralaya, Vidhan Bhavan Canteens
The High Court said notices would be issued to the canteens at Mantralaya and Vidhan Bhavan, directing them to undertake necessary improvements.
The proceedings come amid increased scrutiny of the Maharashtra FDA’s food safety enforcement drive, under which licences of several private hotels, clubs and eateries have faced suspension or cancellation over alleged hygiene violations.
The High Court made it clear that the regulator’s enforcement measures must apply uniformly, irrespective of whether the establishment under inspection is privately operated or located within a government institution.
