The Central government was asked by the Delhi High Court recently to respond to a PIL seeking adequate measures by the government to ensure that hygienic and quality food is available at railway premises and also in moving trains.
A division bench of acting Chief Justice A K Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw issued notice to the Railway Ministry, the chairman of the Railway Board, the director-general (Railway Health Services) and also the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on a PIL filed by Sardar Jagjit Singh, a retired food inspector with the Railways.
The petitioner filed a PIL through K C Mittal, counsel, which says, “Twenty-three million people travel by train in various parts of the country every day, and it focusses on the prevailing appalling conditions of sale and supply of adulterated foodstuffs in Indian Railways.”
A CD containing a news article from a television channel was submitted by the lawyer to the court which says, “The worst is the insensitivity and the failure on the part of the respondents to take adequate steps to ensure sale and supply of unadulterated, wholesome and hygienic food to 23 million passengers who travel everyday by train (24X7) in different parts of the country.”
Seeking a direction to various authorities to issue notification in compliance the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, the PIL said, “Establish prosecuting and adjudicating agency and Food Safety Appellate Tribunal at the micro level to monitor and check the food adulteration day and night at various railway stations.”
It further said that, “The checking should be done in passengers and goods trains, pantry cars, other food outlet in railway areas operated by private contractors, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC) or food plazas including unauthorised vendors and canteens run by railways.”
When FnB news spoke to the FSSAI, A K Srivastava, assistant director (legal), he said, “We will reply to the notice given by Delhi High Court as soon as possible.”
A K Saxena, assistant director general (public relations), Railway Ministry said, “We will go through the notice given to us by the Delhi High Court and accordingly the action will be planned.”
The bench has now fixed October 31, 2012 for further hearing of the matter.
