Aug 30, 2018
CBI grills gutkha manufacturer
Team from New Delhi carries out interrogation at undisclosed location
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday commenced interrogation of suspects in the sensational gutkha scam. A special team comprising officials from the CBI’s Anti-Corruption (III) Unit, New Delhi, examined the manufacturer of the MDM brand of gutkha and others at an undisclosed location in the city, sources in the agency said.
“The CBI has done enough ground work before calling the suspects for interrogation. Questionnaires are being given to those summoned for questioning. If need be, the agency can summon the suspects to New Delhi as was done in other cases in the past,” a senior police officer said.
Besides statements of suspects and witnesses, the agency is relying on the books of accounts and other documents seized from the office and residential premises of the gutkha manufacturer and his employees, which point to payment of bribes to top officials.
The sale of gutkha is banned in Tamil Nadu. The owner of the MDM brand of gutkha had, however, given a statement allegedly admitting to sales of the contraband between November 2014 and June 2016 to the tune of ₹384.38 crore.
After registering a case in May this year, following an order of the Madras High Court, which was later upheld by the Supreme Court when challenged, the CBI wrote to the Income Tax Department, Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption and other agencies seeking documents relating to the case.
Though the usual practice of the central agency is to adopt the First Information Report of the State, in this case the CBI chose to register a fresh case against “unknown officials” of the Central Excise Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, Food Safety Department, public servants and private persons under Section 120B (Criminal Conspiracy) of the IPC and also invoked provisions under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The gutkha scam, exposed by The Hindu in June 2017, pertains to the alleged involvement of State Health Minister C. Vijaya Baskar and DGP-rank officers T.K. Rajendran and S. George, among others, in taking bribes to the tune of ₹39.91 crore for facilitating the storage, transportation and sale of the banned commodity in the city. Though DVAC registered a case in September 2017, it could not file the chargesheet within the stipulated six months. The case was later transferred to the CBI by the Madras High Court while disposing of a petition filed by DMK MLA J. Anbazhagan.
Regulations pertaining to labelling of packaged food soon: FSSAI
A workshop was organised here to sensitise the local media about the importance of food fortification.
Food regulator FSSAI today said the regulations pertaining to labelling of packaged food products are being framed and will be issued soon.
"As far as labelling is concerned, one is packaged food's labelling whose regulations are being framed. Now main issue that is cropping up in this is which food will be called healthy and which food will be called not so healthy," Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) CEO Pawan Agarwal said.
"Industry views, scientific/medical community views on this are being reconciled after which labelling regulations will be issued soon," he told reporters here while replying to a question.
A workshop was organised here to sensitise the local media about the importance of food fortification.
"As far as restaurant food is concerned, where fixed menu is there or what we called Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs), menu labelling can be done, but where chef prepares food, menu labelling is almost impossible," he said.
"However, gradually menu labelling has been implemented in some countries, including recently in the United States," the CEO said.
Taking into account their experience, there is a proposal in India for restaurants having chain of more than 20 outlets for having menu labelling in QSRs with fixed menu.
"Regulations in this regard are being framed and will be issued soon," Agarwal said.
He said the Women and Child Development Ministry and the HRD Ministry have already committed to provide fortified staples in mid-day meal scheme, in Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programmes, double fortified salt has been mandated three years ago.
When asked about some controversies surrounding food fortification, Agarwal said, "In fact, globally fortification is the main and easiest way of addressing micro nutrient deficiencies practiced over hundreds of years, it is not new if our nutrition problem gets solved by adding fortificant and if for this we have to import, what is the harm.""I think these are some kind of confusions that are being created in the minds of people. Fortunately, those who are creating such confusion are miniscule in number," he said.
‘Ban hazardous milk products from north India’
The Tamil Nadu Milk Dealers Employees Welfare Association on Wednesday demanded the state government to stop the sale of milk and dairy products of companies from other states.
Chennai:
Citing the dangers posed by the products of companies from other states, especially northern India, the representatives of the milk dealers association submitted a petition to the State government demanding to ban their sale in Tamil Nadu. “The dairy products contain high amount of hydrogen peroxide, urea and formalin will pose severe threat to the health of the consumers,” Ponnusamy, president, Tamil Nadu Milk Dealers Employees Welfare Association, told DT Next.
Officials of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had recently raided a few milk plants in Punjab, where they found loads of adulterated milk and dairy products. he said that a majority of the dairy units in north India sell only adulterated dairy products.
“In 2012, a PIL was filed against adulterated milk and the Central government, after inspection, agreed that more than 75 per cent of the milk and dairy products were adulterated in 15 north Indian states. Among them, dairy products in six states were found to be 100 per cent adulterated,” claimed Ponnusamy.
Though the Central government knew that only adulterated dairy products was manufactured in these states, it failed to initiate any serious action. “The state government should conduct frequent inspections in markets and also in milk societies to prevent the sale of adulterated dairy products”, insisted the president of the association.
He further said that though the state government had formed a team with the chief secretary as its head to check the adulteration of dairy products, the panel, so far, has not inspected any of these dairy farms, alleged Ponnusamy. “Rather than officials, an expert team should be formed to check adulteration,” he suggested.
It may be recalled that some months ago, State Dairy Development Minister KT Rajenthra Bhalaji also charged that two private milk companies were selling adulterated milk in the state.
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