the goan I network
PANAJI
The Congress on Sunday hit back at Health Minister Vishwajit Rane and advised him not to politicise the ‘formalin-in-fish’ issue and instead concentrate his energies in tackling the challenge of restoring the credibility of the Food and Drugs Administration which is under his control.
“People have very little faith in the FDA because of the way it handled the formalin-in-fish issue. The agency’s credibility has hit rock-bottom. Restoring its credibility is the foremost challenge for Vishwajit”, Chodankar said.
The minister should concentrate on his responsibilities rather than mixing politics and linking the Congress and its efforts to sensitize the public on this serious health matter, with the controversy.
Chodankar recalled that the controversy erupted because of a surprise raid by the FDA on July 12 which found several fish samples picked from trucks importing fish from outside contaminated with the deadly carcinogenic ‘formalin’.
“On the same day, TCP minister Vijai Sardessai interfered without authority and on the same evening the same samples were reported by the FDA to be free of the chemical or with ‘permissible levels’,” Chodankar recalled and reminded the Health Minister that the Congress or its ex-CMs had absolutely no role in the controversy.
“I request the health minister that he and the FDA director hold public fish-eating events for the next one month to restore the faith of the people that what they buy from the markets is safe,” Chodankar said, while criticizing him for misleading the people with claims of a “permissible level” for formalin-in-fish.
“Let’s do this exercise and Vishwajit can practically prove to the Goan public that the fish with formalin in permissible limits is safe for human consumption,” Chodankar taunted the Health Minister.
As for Vishwajit’s challenge to a public debate with him and all of the Congress’ ex-CMs, Chodankar said they were game and ready for a debate.
Recalling the Congress campaign in Margao on Saturday, Chodankar said, that they had set up a stall where the public buying fish from the retail market were approached to test their fish for formalin with the ICAR-CIFT kits which they made available.
“Nearly 40 samples were tested provided by the public, including some provided by fish-sellers,” Chodankar said, adding that some tested positive for formalin. He said, the motive of the Congress was to create awareness among the people to use the testing kits because ‘formalin’ is dangerous and its consumption can cause of cancer.
“I don’t understand why Vishwajit reacted so aggressively. He should have taken an FDA team to Margao and conducted tests,” Chodankar said and slammed the health minister for holding a press conference instead to mislead the people by linking the political number game, Congress and its ex-CMs with the formalin-in-fish controversy.Chodankar alleged that the minister’s behaviour only exposes that instead of initially one minister, now two ministers are on take of the fish import mafia.
The GPCC chief also demanded that to restore the faith of the people of Goa, the government should immediately ban import of fish from outside the state.
He said, right to life is a fundamental right and the State government with its irresponsible conduct in tackling the ‘formalin-in-fish’ matter had jeopardized this right of the people of Goa.
He also demanded that the FDA set up camp offices in the fish markets of all the major cities of Goa like Margao, Panaji, Vasco and Mapusa.
