Dehradun, Oct 13 A restaurant inside the Doon Club was closed on Tuesday after an inspection revealed serious irregularities in its kitchen, including the discovery of rotten food items, cockroaches, and rats, officials said.
The inspection team ordered the restaurant to close immediately and issued a 14-day improvement notice, they said.
During the inspection at Handi, a team comprising officials from the State Legal Services Authority and the Food Safety and Drug Administration found various vegetables, including cauliflower, radish, capsicum, cabbage, and potatoes, in a decayed state inside the freezer, they said.
Along with two-day-old rice, the team also found three-day-old kneaded dough and ingredients for momos and chowmein that were about a week old. Food items were found stored in uncovered vessels, they added.
Cockroaches and rats were found in the kitchen and the spice storage cabinet, and several packets of spices were discovered to have been gnawed by rats. Evidence of rat infestation was also found in the storeroom.
The team collected samples of paneer, milk, and prepared chicken curry for testing and destroyed five kilograms of stale rice, 15 kilograms of vegetables, two kilograms of momos, and stale chicken curry.
Dehradun District Legal Services Authority secretary Seema Dungrakoti said, “Such serious irregularities in a prestigious institution like the Doon Club are particularly concerning. The club frequently hosts numerous dignitaries, including VIPs and VVIPs.”
Emphasising that food preparation and service arrangements in such an establishment must remain hygienic, safe, and compliant with prescribed food safety standards, she objected to the he presence of rotten food items, cockroaches, and rats, along with the deplorable state of cleanliness in the kitchen.
The joint inspection team included Kapil Dev, senior food safety officer, Mussoorie, Manish Sayana, designated officer, food safety, and Ramesh Singh, senior food safety officer, Dehradun. Manoj Suri, president of the Doon Club, was also present at the site.
(PTI News)
