OP Special
Manish Kumar
Bhubaneswar: The state food safety department has decided to stay mum about the 112 entities who were found guilty of adulterating food items and of misbranding.
An RTI application was filed with the department December 30 by this correspondent seeking disclosure of the names of the 112 entities found guilty. The plea also raised the question why only one case was filed against those guilty of harming the health of the citizens though 112 cases of adulteration and misbranding were detected.
However, though 40 days have passed, no formal reply has been received. The RTI applicant has only received a copy of a forwarding letter to the food analyst, state public health laboratory, Bhubaneswar, asking the office to furnish the information.
“You are requested to furnish the detailed information on 112 food business operators whose samples have been found to be adulterated and misbranded till November 11, 2015. No information has yet been received from you because of which this office is in an embarrassing position and unable to supply the information to the applicant. You are requested to furnish the information to this office immediately for onward transmission of the same to the applicant,” said the letter.
The state food safety department, which works under the state public health department, tested 544 samples of food items for adulteration and misbranding, Orissa POST reported December 10. The department found adulteration and misbranding in 112 of the samples. However, only one civil case was filed last year.
This is in contrast to the stringent action taken by other states against adulterators and defaulters of prescribed food safety norms. In the same period, Gujarat filed 502 cases against erring entities, while Jammu & Kashmir filed 418 cases and Andhra Pradesh 416, according to central data.
Madhya Pradesh filed the maximum number of 843 cases against adulterators and defaulters.
Experts, including those of the Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, also told Orissa POST that deterrent through fines and court cases can help discourage adulterators and food safety departments need to take stricter action in case of such crimes. PNN
