Food Safety Act: Rs1.75 lakh fine on Mandi hotel

Mandi, December 30

The Court of ADM-cum-Adjudicating Officer has imposed a penalty of Rs 1.75 lakh on a hotel under the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006.

A case was registered under Sections 56 and 58 of the FSS Act against the owner and the manager of Hotel Partap Palace here on January 20, 2012, on the complaint of Food Safety Officer (FSO) LD Thakur.

During an inspection of the hotel, the FSO found that sanitary conditions of the kitchen was not good, washing arrangement for utensils was not proper, four persons were engaged as food handlers but they were not medically examined, domestic cooking cylinders were being used for food preparations and the food licence for 2011-12 was not produced on demand. The FSO said the hotel was not complying with the provisions of the FSS Act.

After hearing the arguments of the respondents and the complainant, the court observed that the act of the business operators was irresponsible, unfair, callous and against the interests of the public at large.

“As they have not taken reasonable care as required from prudent businessmen while conducting business and, therefore, under the given circumstances, they do not warrant any sympathetic consideration as they failed to discharge their legal, moral, social and commercial obligations,” the court said.

The court held that the matter in question involved the public at large, punishment should be imposed upon the respondents so that on one hand, the ignorant and simpleton persons of society may not badly suffer on account of misdeeds of such law-breakers and on the other, it should also act as a deterrent to other persons who are involved in such kind of activities.