the goan I network
MARGAO
In a development that has raised many an eyebrow in political circles against the backdrop of FDA raids in the wholesale fish market, TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai on Saturday made an offer to Health Minister Vishwajit Rane to initiate steps so that the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) take over the wholesale fish trade and supply safe food for Goans.
While demanding that Health Minister Vishwajit Rane take the investigations into the controversy to the logical conclusion so that exemplary punishment is meted out to all those involved in the episode, the TCP Minister further said that the people of Fatorda are looking forward to the FDA, which comes under the health department to also check the quality of fruits and vegetables available for sale in the market.
“Vishwajit Rane is an efficient, dynamic and young Minister, who knows to do his job. He should set the Formalin controversy straight by zeroing in on the persons. Hang those involved in the controversy so that exemplary punishment is meted out. In this task, he has complete support from the people of Fatorda, the Goa Forward Party”, Sardesai told the media at the wholesale fish market.
Sardesai’s comments come just a day after Vishwajit Rane on Friday called out the “vested interests” in the fish import business as responsible for the formalin-in-fish conundrum.
“There is a conspiracy to target the FDA. There are some vested interests who have been making money on this import of fish,” Vishwajit Rane had told the media on Friday.
Rane had also welcomed the Chief Minister’s decision to ban import of fish for 15 days and even went to the extent of saying: “I will continue to push personally for a ban on permanent import of fish.”
The Health Minister had also said: “After the 15 days we will not allow any truck to enter the state without it being certified by the FDA.”
He said, they (vested interests) were causing damage to the people of Goa.
On Saturday, Sardesai was talking to the media at ‘ground zero’ -- the wholesale fish market -- where he had come for a joint inspection by the SGPDA and the GSIDC, ahead of the Rs 85-lakh land development project there.
“It’s not that there is no trust or faith in the Health Minister. It’s nothing like that. Rane is a dynamic, young and efficient Minister. He is one minister who will deliver”, the TCP Minister said.Sardesai then continued: “FDA might have many properties. I do not know the location of the properties because I am not in-charge of the portfolio. The FDA may better shift the wholesale fish market there. There should be no two agencies to run a market. Let FDA build the market through the GSIDC and then it and ensure that Goans get safe food”.
