'Why Only Private Eateries?': After Bombay HC's Query, FDA Team Inspects Canteens Inside HC

A day after the Bombay High Court asked the State whether Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had inspected canteens run by government and semi-government bodies during its statewide hygiene crackdown, the regulator turned its attention to the canteens functioning inside the High Court itself.

An FDA team on Thursday inspected three canteens operating within the Bombay High Court premises. One was ordered to stop operations for allegedly running without a valid Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licence, while the other two were issued improvement notices. Officials said a detailed inspection report is being prepared before any formal statement is made.

"Our team did inspect the canteens of the Bombay High Court. We are preparing a report. Once we submit it to our higher authorities, a statement will be issued," an FDA official told.

The inspection came a day after a bench of Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad asked the State whether the FDA's ongoing drive also covered eateries run by government departments, statutory authorities and semi-government bodies. The State had assured the court that it would place on record details of inspections conducted across Maharashtra, including at government-run canteens.

The FDA's crackdown has gathered pace since IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe took over as commissioner in May. Apart from inspecting numerous restaurants and hotels across the State, the regulator has suspended licences of well-known establishments, including the Cricket Club of India and the MIG Cricket Club, over alleged food safety and hygiene lapses. The drive has since expanded to institutional kitchens and canteens attached to public offices, a shift drawing both support and criticism over inconsistent enforcement.

During Thursday's inspection, officials found that the Bombay Bar Association's (BBA) canteen had already shut voluntarily earlier in the day. It was later issued a "stop business" order, with the FDA alleging that the canteen had been functioning without the mandatory FSSAI licence. The order noted that non-compliance could attract a penalty of up to Rs 2 lakh, and that continuing to operate without a valid licence could invite prosecution under the Food Safety and Standards Act.

The third-floor BBA canteen, which serves snacks to original side members, had told members that services were being "temporarily discontinued until further intimation." The association, however, said the closure was voluntary and that no adverse communication had been received from the FDA. BBA president Nitin Thakker said the canteen was shut before the FDA team arrived, and that the contractor had since obtained the required licence, with operations expected to resume soon.

The FDA also inspected the High Court's ground-floor staff canteen, where food samples were collected, though it continued operating through the day. A small tea canteen near Court Room 36 was shut voluntarily as well. Advocate Suresh Sabrad, secretary of the Advocates Association of Western India, said no FDA officials had actually visited that particular outlet. Inspections and documentation reportedly continued till late evening.

The issue resurfaced before the High Court on Friday, with the bench questioning the FDA's "selective" approach after a lawyers' panel flagged poor hygiene at Mantralaya canteens, despite the regulator having given them a 98% compliance rating. The court has now sought a detailed explanation from the State government on this apparent discrepancy in inspection standards across these different institutions.

Inputs from TOI