Gurgaon: More than half of the food safety violation cases reported in Haryana over 15 months resulted in fines of Rs 10,000 or less, prompting scrutiny of whether the penalties are enough to deter those selling adulterated or unsafe food.Of the 1,742 cases recorded across the state between April 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026, 895 attracted fines of up to Rs 10,000. While 237 cases resulted in penalties of Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000, another 395 drew fines of Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000. Only 215 cases attracted penalties exceeding Rs 50,000.The district-wise data also points to sharp differences in both the number of violations reported and the penalties imposed. Bhiwani recorded the highest number of cases at 269, followed by Faridabad (137), Nuh (113), Charkhi Dadri (112) and Rewari (110). Gurgaon reported 75 cases during the period.The penalty pattern varied across districts. In Faridabad, almost all cases (131 of 137) resulted in fines of up to Rs 10,000. The same was true in Panchkula, where all 29 cases attracted penalties within this range. Hisar and Jind also saw a large proportion of cases end in fines of up to Rs 10,000.Gurgaon, however, recorded 32 cases in which fines exceeded Rs 50,000, the second-highest number in this category among districts. Nuh topped the list with 45 such cases, and Bhiwani stood third, with 30. Rewari reported 21 cases attracting penalties above Rs 50,000.An official from the food department said penalties were being imposed in accordance with Section 49 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. “This requires considering unfair profits, harm to consumers, repeated violations, and the gravity of the offence. The objective is to ensure effective action against violators of food safety regulations and to protect public health,” the official said.Deepak Dhillon, food safety officer (FSO) in Gurgaon, told TOI that raids were being conducted regularly in major markets across the city and food samples were being collected for testing.
