Red-hot Food Safety Dept for Probe into Chilli Fraud

Test result of the Regional Analytical Laboratory in Kochi

THRISSUR: After testing the samples of dry chillies supplied by the government undertaking Supplyco to BPL families during last Onam season, food safety assistant commissioner here has recommended for an adjudication process against officers concerned for supplying sub-standard grocery.

In the complaint filed by RTI activist P B Satheesh of Mannuthy, it was pointed out that the free Onam kits distributed at the Supplyco Unit at Mannuthy last year contained only stalk (njatti) of chillies along with dry leaves, pieces of stone and wood etc.

There were media reports over the issue then, he noted. The complainant had brought to the notice of the officials in Food Safety Department that it was very difficult to find a piece of dry red chilly in the 200g-pack given to BPL cardholders and strangely, the dry chilly found in the pack was yellow in colour.

Assistant Food Safety Commissioner in Thrissur B Jayachandran told ‘Express’ that the samples collected were tested at the Regional Analytical Laboratory in Kochi and was found to be sub-standard.

“The Food Safety Officer will submit all documents in connection with the complaint and test conducted before the Revenue Divisional Office (RDO) for adjudication and action will be taken against the Supplyco officials who had erred in their duties after the hearing,” he said.

Meanwhile, sources in the Supplyco said that the dry red chilly (‘Chillies Whole’) found as sub-standard after testing would not be of a great concern for the corporation and the Revenue

Divisional Office would at the most impose a small token as fine.

Manager of the Supplyco Unit at Mannuthy said that even though the packaging was done in his unit, the consignment came from Kochi. The quality controllers of the corporation had tested it before it reached the unit for packing. “We conducted an inquiry with the packing employees here and they told us that they have packed what they received after the inspection conducted by QC,” he said.

Meanwhile, Satheesh said the estimated cost of one free kit that included 2 kg of rice and 50 grams of tea dust along with the dry chilly was `70 and his organisation ‘Nerkazhcha’ had already filed a complaint with Vigilance to find out whether there was any financial misappropriation.