Penalty on sweets shop owner cut

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, April 16

The court of Sessions Judge (Food Safety Appellate Tribunal) has reduced the penalty imposed on the owner of a sweets shop from Rs 50,000 to Rs 10,000.

Nathu Ram Gupta, a resident of Ram Darbar, had filed an appeal in the court against the order passed by the District Magistrate-cum-Adjudicating Officer under the Food Safety and Standards Act on July 20, 2017, in which a penalty of Rs 50,000 was imposed upon him.

According to the prosecution, Surinder Pal Singh, Food Safety Officer, inspected the business premises of M/s New Delhi Sweets, Industrial Area, Phase-II, Chandigarh, of food business operator, Nathu Ram Gupta, and found him preparing and selling articles like samosa, bread pakora, chana bhatura, chapatis etc being exposed to dust and flies and under highly unhygienic and insanitary conditions on December 13, 2016.

The officer accordingly challaned the food business operator under the Act and presented the application before the adjudicating officer against the food business operator. After going through the facts brought on record and provisions of the Act and Rules, the adjudicating officer held the liability of the food business operator and imposed a penalty of Rs 50,000 upon him.

On behalf of the appellant, it was contended that proper procedure as prescribed under the provisions of the Act had not been followed by the Food Safety Officer and the amount of penalty was disproportionate and therefore was liable to be reduced.

After hearing the arguments, the court reduced the amount of penalty from Rs 50,000 to Rs 10,000.

Fact file

• Food Safety Officer, inspected the business premises of M/s New Delhi Sweets, Industrial Area, Phase-II, Chandigarh, of food business operator, Nathu Ram Gupta, and found him preparing and selling articles like samosa, bread pakora, chana bhatura, chapatis etc being exposed to dust and flies and under highly unhygienic and insanitary conditions on December 13, 2016