Shimla, Apr 9 (UNI) In a significant move aimed at safeguarding public health, the Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed the state government to confirm whether canteens and messes in educational and healthcare institutions under the Health Department are functioning in compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The directive came during proceedings in the case Court on its own motion versus State of Himachal Pradesh and others, which initially emerged from a complaint about exorbitant mess charges raised by the Student Nursing Association. However, the court has since broadened the scope of the case to address food safety concerns in public institutions.
A recent communication from six students — Aakriti Sharma, Riya Kutahria, Ishita Bhardwaj, Kanchan Sharma, Shreya Jaswal, and Kritika Thakur — claiming to be new office bearers of the Student Nursing Association, sought to withdraw the petition. The Court, however, noted that these individuals were not among the original complainants, which included Angel Negi, Ankita Shandil, Shivani Vashist, Vijay Laxmi, and Shagun Chaudhary.