Panaji, Oct 28(TNN): Within hours of the state government’s order not to allow traders not registered with the directorate food and drugs administration (FDA) to import fish, the state machinery sent back around 50 trucks from Goa’s borders.
However, there was no shortage of fish in the market. From Sunday, the FDA will deploy teams in fish markets to ensure that non registered traders don’t bring fish. And from Monday, the FDA will also monitor milk imports, fearing adulteration.
It was business as usual at the fish market in Panaji on Saturday P 3 No question of looking back, says health minister The state government on Friday issued an order not to allow the import of fish for domestic consumption by those traders who haven’t registered with the FDA.
Health minister Vishwajit Rane said that he would write to Goa police asking them to stop the import of fish by non-registered fish traders along routes other than Pollem and Patradevi. “From midnight, we strictly implemented the circular issued by the state government,” he said.
“We assume that not a single truck carrying fish entered the state. Obviously, it is a ban kind of situation.” He also said that there is no question of the government changing its stand, and that compliance is a must. “Now there is no looking back,” he said. Rane said that it doesn’t matter whether or not fish traders know about the government’s decision. “Around 40 trucks have been sent back from Pollem and another 10 from Patradevi,” he said.
He said that around 100 trucks carrying fish come to Goa for export and around 82 vehicles with fish for domestic consumption. “We are not concerned with vehicles coming with fish for processing,” he said. “We are only concerned with the 82 vehicles which come to supply fish to Goa.”
The minister also said that the government has decided (and it will be discussed with the health secretary) that if five star hotels want to import fish for their guests, they should ask their suppliers to register with the government. “We are ready to expedite their applications,” Rane said.
On Thursday, the FDA revoked the licences of 33 fish traders. Reacting to the wholesale fish market traders association threatening to stop the sale of imported fish from November 1, the minister said, “I don’t have a problem..., I have no issues.”