Report

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has instructed the Haryana government to decide within 60 days regarding changes to laws aimed at tackling milk adulteration with harmful substances. This decision follows a request for legal amendments to address health concerns related to food adulteration.

Court Highlights Unfilled Vacancies in Food Safety Department

In addition to the milk adulteration issue, the High Court also addressed a representation regarding the unfilled positions of food safety officers in Haryana. The petitioner highlighted that 43 out of the 45 approved positions for food safety officers remain vacant, urging the state government to take prompt action to fill these critical roles.

PIL Triggers Court’s Directives

The directives responded to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by lawyer Vijay Deep Rathee. The petition expressed concern over the lack of action in filling food safety officer vacancies and requested modifications to Sections 274 and 275 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (formerly Sections 272 and 273 of the IPC), in line with recommendations from the Supreme Court and the Law Commissions of India and Haryana.

Legal Measures to Combat Food Adulteration

The petitioner’s request to amend these sections aligns with Supreme Court directives in the Swami Achyut Anand Tirth and others Vs Union of India case. The Supreme Court had called for stricter legal measures against food adulteration offenders. The Law Commission of India, in its 264th report, had recommended life imprisonment for those involved in producing and selling adulterated food.

No Response from Authorities

Rathee informed the court that he had submitted a representation to the Haryana authorities on October 14, 2024, regarding this matter but had not received any response. In light of this, the High Court opted to resolve the issue by directing the respondent authorities to review the representation and issue a detailed order within 60 days.

Court’s Resolution

The High Court ordered that the authorities must review and address the petitioner’s representation and inform the petitioner of their decision within a maximum of 60 days from receiving a copy of the order. This ruling was issued on Thursday, signalling the court’s commitment to ensuring timely action on food safety and health concerns.

Source: The Times of India