IMPHAL, July 26: The Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System Students Wing today appealed to the concerned department to conduct proper quality checking of the edible items sold in the state, following seizure of rusted iron cones used in the making of ice creams in the state.
Moirangthem Angamba, the convenor of the body today urged the government for licensing of such vendors so as to ensure quality check.
Elaborating further, he said, non-locals who arrive in droves into the state in search of jobs start their own business in a haphazardly manner in the absence of proper licensing of such vendors and creating a hazardous environment for the people.
Even though there is a Food Safety Standard Act in the state, it is not properly implemented, he said.
Volunteers of the body had today seized ice creams, ice popsicles from CCpur bus parking, Thoubal parking, Imphal Municipal Council gate, Wanhengbam Leikai, BT Park, Jiri Parking in Imphal.
The ice creams and other items were found stored in unhygienic wooden boxes and on being asked the non-local vendors took them to their factories, he said.
The factories are Utti Factory at Roopmahal Tank and another one at Majjid Road, during which it was found that the iron valves used for making the ice-creams and Popsicle were all rusted and the non-local vendors failed to provide proper answer when asked about the source of the water and other ingredients used in making the ice-creams, he said.
He further continued that the volunteers had collected some samples of the ice-creams from the vendors and took it for examination at the State Food Testing Laboratory, Lamphelpat, however citing lack of staff and equipments, the laboratory authorities refused to even collect the samples.
Further appealing to the concerned authorities to check the sale of unhygienic edible things, he said there is a growing apprehension that it will create a serious health problem for the people of the state.
He further lamented the failure of the state government to take up any concrete action on the ILP issue.
