Ahead of Diwali, no HC relief to G Pulla Reddy Sweets’ Hyderabad unit

The unit's licence was cancelled after officials found rotten vegetables, rat faeces and expired products.

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday, November 4, refused to restore the licence of G Pulla Reddy Sweets’ Sanathnagar manufacturing unit, holding that public health must come before the company’s festive season business.

The unit’s food safety licence was suspended on Tuesday, October 27, after the Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG-SAFE) inspected it during a statewide drive against food manufacturers. Officials allegedly found rotten vegetables, rat faeces, expired and mislabelled products, dirty manufacturing and washing areas, and food handlers lacking basic personal hygiene. The unit was also reportedly operating under the wrong licence category.

Authorities seized 3,133 kg of food worth Rs 15.03 lakh.

Court’s reasoning

Justice NV Shravan Kumar, hearing a lunch motion petition, said the allegations were too serious to ignore, especially at a time when sweets are bought in bulk for festivals. He noted that products from the unit are also shipped abroad and asked what reputation the country would earn if spoilt sweets were found overseas. It was fortunate, he said, that the problem surfaced in Hyderabad first.

The judge told TG-SAFE that the courts stood with it. He ordered a fresh inspection of the unit and a detailed report before the matter returns on Friday, November 6.

Company’s defence

The company argued that the unit was effectively shut before any notice was issued, in breach of procedure. Its counsel said the defective stock would not reach retail outlets and that the problems had since been fixed. He asked for the licence to be restored because of festive demand and pending orders.

Government pleader for health, medical and family welfare P Shravan Kumar Goud countered that relief at this stage would weaken the crackdown, which he said is aimed at protecting consumers across Telangana.