Telangana, AP List Steps to Curb Artificial Ripening of Fruits

HYDERABAD: Apart from creating awareness about the ill effects of the use of calcium carbide to ripen fruits artificially, the governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have decided to initiate criminal proceedings against vendors using calcium carbide and to cancel their licences.

The AP government has brought the food business operators dealing in fruits business under the purview of Food Safety Regulation, while the Telangana government has decided to punish the erring fruit vendors with imprisonment up to six months and a fine up to Rs 1 lakh.

The two governments filed affidavits before the High Court on Wednesday, explaining the steps taken by them to ensure availability of chemical-free fruits.

While treating a PIL as a suo motu case based on a news item published in a vernacular daily, a division bench comprising acting chief justice Dilip B Bhosale and justice SV Bhatt had earlier directed both states to come up with a comprehensive action plan to curb the menace of artificial ripening of fruits by vendors using calcium carbide.

The Telangana government, in its affidavit, submitted that it initiated two-pronged strategy to curb usage of calcium carbide for ripening of fruits and creating awareness among traders about its ill effects.

Of the 15 samples lifted from the fruit markets of Jambagh, Moazzam Jahi Road and Darulshifa in the city and Gaddiannaram fruit market in Ranga Reddy district, all of them were found unsafe for human consumption. Action against the traders is under process. Another 34 samples were lifted from other districts and they too were found unsafe.

In order to ensure availability of chemical-free fruits, the government has proposed an action plan under the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 which included having posters in major fruit markets indicating that sale of artificially-ripened fruits is an offence punishable with imprisonment up to six months and fine upto Rs 1 lakh, notice to indicate prohibition of sale of artificially ripened fruits, creating awareness about the ill effects of carbide ripened fruits, conducting inspections every month and collection of at least two fruit samples from retail outlets, empowering local bodies to grant or cancel trade license etc., the Telanganae government explained.