The Supreme Court on Friday, November 29, 2024, refused to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking regulations for the quality of prasadam distributed in temples.
A bench comprising Justices B.R. Gavai and K.V. Viswanathan observed that the issue fell under the domain of state policy and declined to intervene.
The petitioner’s counsel argued that while temples lacked the resources to ensure the quality of prasadam, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) guidelines were inadequate and lacked enforcement strength. The plea highlighted incidents of people falling ill after consuming prasadam in various temples.
However, the bench suggested that the matter could be taken up with the respective state authorities or high courts if specific grievances arose. “We are not inclined to entertain the present petition as the prayers made are within the domain of state policy,” the court noted.
The bench further remarked, “Why restrict this to prasadam? File it for food in hotels, food items we purchase from grocery stores. There may also be adulteration there.”
The petitioner maintained that the plea did not blame temples but sought effective regulations to ensure public health and safety. The court reiterated that individual cases could be addressed by state high courts or relevant authorities.
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