Pune: State food and drugs administration (FDA) minister Narhari Zirwal said in the assembly on Thursday that his department’s action in curbing adulteration in food had been inadequate and assured the house to step up vigil over the coming days.On Thursday, Pune MLAs raised the issue of FDA officials turning a blind eye to rampant food adulteration in and around the city. Pune cantonment MLA of BJP Sunil Kamble said, “Harmful chemicals are being used to adulterate milk and its byproducts like paneer. It can lead to diseases like cancer. However, there has been no effective action by the FDA to curb such malpractices. The officials are seen only during festival seasons,” Kamble said.Kamble was supported by his party’s MLA from Shivajinagar constituency Siddharth Shirole.Shirole said, “Some hotels and roadside food vendors use substandard material to prepare edible items. It often causes health issues. Consumers are conscious about the quality of food at eateries, but people who commit the crime do so without any fear of action.” He demanded that FDA introduce a realtime dashboard to keep residents informed about the action being taken on a regular basis.Responding to the issue raised, Zirwal admitted in the assembly that many vendors in Pune use substandard oil and other such raw material. He assured to step up action against adulteration.“One food safety officer (FSO) should check at least 10 samples in a three-month span, but it is not happening. All FSOs will be instructed to be vigilant and act regularly,” the minister said.Zirwal also said his department was facing a manpower crunch for long and told the house there have been recent recruitments to help the department intensify its response. He said, “There are five FSOs in Pune, but the requirement is for 25 more. The department recently filled up some vacancies and it will help improve the action against adulteration.”
