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Dispose of FEDCOT plea on food inspector postings: High Court

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI Feb. 11. The Madras High Court has directed the Government to consider and dispose of within four weeks a Federation of Consumer Organisations Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry representation, seeking early action to fill up a large number of vacancies in the post of Food Inspector.

The First Bench, comprising the Chief Justice B. Subhashan Reddy and Justice Malai Subramanian, was disposing of a FEDCOT writ petition, which contended that more than 400 of the 600 posts were lying vacant, paralysing enforcement of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act.

The petitioner submitted that the Act, was enacted with a view to punishing those manufacturing or selling unsafe food products. It gave powers to the State Government to prohibit the sale of food products deemed unsafe. Various orders were issued under the Act to protect consumer interests, such as those prohibiting the sale of `pan masala' and `Gutka', or the sale of water without BIS certification.

But little progress was achieved on ground, because of administrative lethargy and executive indifference. Adequate personnel and human resource were required to inspect premises, test products and prosecute offenders. Only food inspectors were authorised to file complaints under the Act. While the Government announced with fanfare the ban on the sale of chewing tobacco and the like, there was no follow-up after initial raids and seizures. The FEDCOT contended that there were very few prosecutions under the Act.

Meanwhile, there was a proliferation of fast food restaurants which were reported to be using carcinogenic additives and substandard colours. Even here, the lack of infrastructure prevented action. The FEDCOT had called upon officials in the Health Department, the Food and Consumer Protection department and Public Health authorities to fill the vacancies. But there was no response to the representation.

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