MARGAO
Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, who also holds the Town and Country Planning portfolio, on Wednesday said he would get the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) to provide space to house the world-class food testing laboratory at Margao.
He, however, hastened to add that the fish coming into the state are being tested at the border checkpoints at Polem and Patradevi, besides the Margao wholesale fish market.
Similarly, he said FDA Director Jyoti Sardesai and her team have been conducting routine raids on unscrupulous traders using chemicals to ripen fruits in the State. Rane, however, advised the media not to create unnecessary panic situations amongst the people in the food testing laboratory.
“Since I am also holding the TCP portfolio, I will get the SGPDA to provide the land at the market to set up the world-class food testing laboratory,” he said, while his attention was drawn to the promise made by the government within the Assembly and outside to set up the fish testing laboratory at Margao.
FDA Director Sardesai said the government had initiated the proposal to set up the world-class food testing lab at the SGPDA market, but paucity of space forced the agency to postpone plans on the lab.
