Shillong, July 30: The Meghalaya High Court has served notices to both the State and Central governments on the selling of edible items in an unhygienic condition in Shillong city.
Hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by senior advocate, SP Mahanta, the division bench comprising of Chief Justice Ajay Kumar Mittal and Justice HS Thangkhiew has ordered that notices be issued to the authorities concerned.
The PIL has brought to the notice of the Court that various vendors at places in and around the town starting from ïewduh (Bara Bazar), Motphran, Khyndai Lad (Police Bazar), Laitumkhrah , ïewdak (Laban), Rynjah including main roads right from Fire Brigade point upto Motphran are selling fruits and vegetables which are in the most unhygienic conditions and are exposed to various flies etc. which are left uncovered.
The Court said that other issues have also been raised in the PIL relating to hygienic condition of eatables being sold in open market while adjourning the hearing to August 22.
Meanwhile, A Paul, ASG has accepted the notice on behalf of Union of India, while S Sen, Sr.GA on behalf of the State respondents, K Baruah, accepts notice on behalf of respondent No.6 and VGK Kynta, senior counsel accepts notice on behalf of respondent No.7 who pray for time to file their respective responses.
In his petition, Mahanta has alleged that the state respondents have failed to display the guidelines for maintaining the hygienic condition of edible items either through department of information and public relations or through any other print or electronic media nor has it conducted any awareness programmes in the market area or any other localities till date
