Bombay High Court Orders Action Over Misleading FDA Reports on Government Canteens, Constitutes Monitoring Committee
The Bombay High Court has taken a stern view of the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) handling of food safety inspections, directing immediate corrective action after finding discrepancies in reports submitted on the hygiene conditions of canteens operating in government establishments. The Court expressed concern that inspection reports relating to the Mantralaya and Vidhan Bhavan canteens appeared inconsistent with the actual conditions, raising questions over the credibility of the regulatory exercise.
A Bench headed by the Acting Chief Justice observed that food safety enforcement cannot be selective and must apply equally to government, semi-government, and private establishments. The Court questioned why the FDA’s extensive inspection drive initially focused on private restaurants while similar scrutiny was not carried out in canteens functioning within public institutions, including those frequented by government officials.
After examining the reports placed before it, the High Court reportedly found that the FDA’s inspection of certain government canteens lacked the rigor applied elsewhere. The Bench directed the authorities to initiate appropriate action over the allegedly misleading reports and emphasised that public confidence in food safety regulation depends on transparent and impartial enforcement.
To ensure accountability, the Court constituted a four-member committee to oversee fresh inspections and verify compliance with hygiene and food safety norms in government canteens. The committee has been tasked with submitting an independent assessment so that the Court can determine whether regulatory standards are being uniformly implemented across all public food establishments.
The proceedings form part of the High Court’s continuing scrutiny of the FDA’s statewide crackdown on unhygienic eateries. In recent hearings, the Court has repeatedly stressed that regulatory action must be guided by objective standards rather than arbitrary or selective enforcement. It has also questioned the differing treatment given to various establishments, with some facing immediate closure while others were issued only improvement notices.
Following the Court’s observations, FDA officials conducted inspections of canteens located within the Bombay High Court premises. One canteen temporarily suspended operations before the inspection, while another received a stop-business order after the inspection process, highlighting that the regulator’s drive had expanded to institutional canteens as directed by the Court.
Legal observers believe the case marks a significant step towards ensuring equal enforcement of food safety laws. By insisting that government-run canteens be subjected to the same standards as private restaurants, the Bombay High Court has reinforced the principle that regulatory authorities must act fairly, transparently, and without discrimination. The matter is expected to remain under judicial monitoring until the Court is satisfied that food safety norms are being uniformly enforced across Maharashtra.
