Hearing a matter pertaining to supply of contaminated food to tribal children in government-run ashram schools, the Bombay High Court on Monday directed the Maharashtra government and the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation (NCCF) to take appropriate departmental action against officials responsible for procurement, transportation and distribution of food for the said schools.

The CBI, which is investigating the matter, submitted an interim report to the court on Monday and is likely to file a chargesheet on September 10.

The court observed that samples taken by the CBI from ashram schools show that the food stock from all of them barring two schools was unfit for human consumption. Additional Solicitor General Darius Khambatta informed the court that the samples had larvae and rat excreta. Khambatta stated that the CBI was likely to file a chargesheet by September 10 and a supplementary chargesheet later.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice A M Khanwilkar observed: “Despite pendency of the petition, no effective step has been taken to ensure proper quality of food from the NCCF.”

“To us it appears that the state has failed miserably to perform its constitutional duty to protect children,” Chief Justice Kumar said. “The government shall consider action against erring officials irrespective of their status,” the court said.

Government counsel Jyoti Pawar, admitting that it was a serious issue, said they had now changed the whole food stock. She said action had been taken against 17 people including principals and superintendents of ashram schools.

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