PANAJI
In relief to Leader of Opposition Michael Lobo’s wife Delilah Lobo, the Bombay High Court at Goa has stayed an order of the Food Safety Officer of the Food and Drugs Administration who had, on June 27 suspended the licence of Pisco By The Beach, a restaurant owned and run by her.
In the order issued on Tuesday, the High Court, however, asked Lobo to avail of appellate remedy under the Food Safety Standards Act 2006, and instead approach the Commissioner of Food Safety (Director of FDA) with the required appeal by July 11. The commissioner has been directed to decide the appeal within three weeks.
In its order the High Court has observed that there were no sufficient grounds existing to invoke powers to forthwith suspend the petitioners licence without even affording her 14 days to rectify the deficiencies, as required under Section 32 of the Food Safety and Standards Act.
Lobo had said he would approach the High Court to challenge the decision of the FDA to suspend the licence of his establishment, which he said was purely personal political vendetta.
