Food Safety body is in coma, claims MLC Srinivas Poojary

Udupi: MLC Kota Srinivas Poojary complained that the State Health Department and Food Safety and Standards Authority are in coma.

Briefing reporters, he said the departments and the laboratories working under Food Safety and Standards Authority have indulged in illegal activities. He alleged that Health Minister U T Khader issues statements totally far from truth. He said the government has failed to recruit sufficient and required numbers of officials to Food Safety and Standards Authority.

The food safety squad is not formed. He said the post for as many as 36 nominated officials at district level is vacant. There should be 226 food safety officials at each taluk level. Of which 174 posts are vacant. It is mandatory that each official, should get at least ten samples of food stuff examined every month. There are three headquarters in Gulburga, Belgaum and Mysore, which works without the required number of staffs.

The machinery at BBMP office related to the Authority is dysfunctional. The food safety office at K R Circle operating under Health department is also motionless. He said there are 25 chemists who work at Food Safety and Standards Authority laboratories fetching salaries around Rs 75,000 to Rs 90,000 per month. All these chemists are paid without working and urged the health minister to clarify irregularities in Food Safety and Standards Authority.