Supreme Court rejects petition on ‘Prasadam’ quality regulations, ‘Why restrict it to prasadam’?

A bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan observed that the issue fell within the ambit of state policy and refused to intervene.

On Friday, November 29, 2024, the Supreme Court refused to consider a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking regulations for the quality of prasadam distributed in temples.

A bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan observed that the issue fell within the ambit of state policy and refused to intervene.

The petitioner’s counsel argued that while the temples lacked resources to ensure the quality of prasadam, the guidelines of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) were inadequate and lacked the strength to enforce them. The petition highlighted incidents of people falling ill after consuming prasadam at various temples.

However, the court suggested that the matter could be taken up before the respective state authorities or higher courts if specific complaints arose. “We are not willing to consider the present petition as the prayers made are within the ambit of state policy,” the court noted.

The court further commented: “Why restrict this to prasadam? File it for food in hotels, food we buy in supermarkets. There may also be adulteration there.”

The petitioner maintained that the plea did not blame the temples but sought effective regulations to ensure public health and safety. The court reiterated that individual cases could be taken up by state high courts or relevant authorities.

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