---
title: "Bombay High Court Demands Audit of State-Run Canteen Safety Inspections"
url: https://projectchintan.com/article/bombay-high-court-demands-audit-of-state-run-canteen-safety-inspections-nc1kz
publisher: Project Chintan
author: Project Chintan Newsroom
section: India
published: 2026-07-30T05:42:03.000Z
modified: 2026-07-31T10:01:50.755Z
language: en-IN
---

# Bombay High Court Demands Audit of State-Run Canteen Safety Inspections

Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad ordered the Maharashtra government to document Food and Drug Administration checks on public sector eating venues. The mandate follows a legal challenge against license suspensions that allegedly bypassed mandatory improvement notices.

## Court Scrutinizes FDA Regulatory Methods

The Bombay High Court has intervened in a statewide enforcement drive led by Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA), questioning whether the agency skipped mandatory legal steps before shutting down food establishments. On Wednesday, July 29, 2026, a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ravindra V Ghuge and Justice Gautam A Ankhad ordered the State to provide a comprehensive report by July 31 detailing all inspections conducted at government, semi-government, and statutory authority canteens.

The judicial inquiry stems from a petition filed by Sanjay Nirbhavane, the human resources head of a five-star hotel in Navi Mumbai. The hotel contested the suspension of its Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) license, claiming the FDA acted prematurely under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. “You have to give the improvement notice and if the petitioner doesn't comply, you can suspend the licence. You did exactly the opposite,” the Bench remarked during oral proceedings.

## Equitable Enforcement and Procedural Compliance

Advocate Mayur Khandeparkar, representing the petitioner, argued that while public safety drives are necessary, the FDA must adhere to due process. The petitioner claimed the hotel's deficiency score remained within tolerable limits and criticized the regulator for failing to provide a fair hearing or an opportunity to rectify issues before enforcing a suspension. These legal challenges follow similar tension in Aurangabad, where the High Court recently stayed FDA suspension orders directed at milk vendors and suppliers.

Government pleader Neha Bhide defended the agency’s record, led by Food Safety Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe. She denied claims of selective enforcement, noting that the crackdown caught several prominent institutions, including: - The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) canteens - KEM Hospital facilities - The Cricket Club of India (CCI) establishments

## Mandate for Transparency

The court now requires a full accounting of the FDA's current sweep. By the July 31 deadline, the state must submit data on: - Inspections of canteens operated directly by government departments. - Facilities managed via third-party contracts for statutory authorities. - A schedule of upcoming inspections for state-linked eating houses not yet visited. The bench indicated it would issue a formal order following the submission of these records. The matter is scheduled for further hearing this Friday.

Source: The Hindu — National

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Canonical: https://projectchintan.com/article/bombay-high-court-demands-audit-of-state-run-canteen-safety-inspections-nc1kz
Reported from: The Hindu — National