Bombay High Court Orders FDA to Inspect Government Canteens

The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to provide detailed reports on inspections conducted at state-run canteens and eating houses. The division bench, while hearing a petition against the suspension of a luxury hotel's license, questioned why the FDA's hygiene crackdowns seemed to target private establishments while overlooking public facilities. The court explicitly ordered that kitchens within the High Court premises, government offices, and semi-government institutions must be held to the same rigorous hygiene standards as commercial eateries to ensure public health across the board.

The case originated from an FDA action against the Park Inn by Radisson in Mumbai, where a customer allegedly found a cockroach in their food. This incident led to a summary suspension of the hotel's license, a move the High Court characterized as potentially excessive. In a moment of pointed humor, the presiding judge remarked on the presence of flies and pests even in high-level government buildings, asking the FDA to take a "realistic view" of the Indian environment. The court suggested that while hygiene is paramount, the immediate suspension of a business license for a single pest sighting may not always be a proportionate response.

This ruling signals a significant shift toward holding the government accountable for its own infrastructure. By demanding data on government canteen inspections, the court is addressing the perceived double standard where state facilities often operate with lower sanitary oversight than the private sector. The FDA has been tasked with presenting a comprehensive list of all state-run kitchens and the frequency of their inspections. This move is expected to force a major upgrade in the maintenance and hygiene of canteens serving thousands of government employees and visitors daily in Maharashtra.