THE GOAN NETWORK
MAPUSA
In yet another raid on transportation of food products, the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) on Thursday seized about 500 kg of paneer worth Rs 1.5 lakh at Porvorim and Canca.
As part of its surveillance drive to check transportation of food articles, the FDA received information from wholesale vendors in Margao and later intercepted a vehicle carrying paneer near O-Coqueiro Junction at Porvorim in the early hours of Thursday.
Close to 300 kgs of unlabelled paneer was detained from the vendor. Further details were sought from this vendor and FDA officials seized another 200 kgs from premises in Porvorim and Canca.
It was learnt this transporter used to supply to major wholesale vendors of Bardez, Margao and Ponda.
All these items seized by the FDA were later disposed off with the help of the Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC).
Interstate buses were also checked at the Mapusa bus stand, but no paneer or other non-compliant items were found on Thursday.
The FDA has appealed to all vendors to refrain from transporting food without following appropriate conditions and have warned of penal action.
The checks will continue in other areas and other commodities like vegetables will also be under the scanner this month.
Third FDA raid in Bardez
THE GOAN NETWORK
MAPUSA
This is the third such raid by the FDA in Bardez within a week, with officials seizing a total of 1.5 tonnes of food products valued at around Rs 7.5 lakh.
On July 2, the FDA had conducted a raid at the Mapusa interstate bus stand and seized 150 kgs of paneer and curd along with 50 kgs of fried onions worth Rs 1.5 lakh.
The FDA had also conducted a raid at the new inter-state bus stand in Mapusa in the wee hours of June 28.
The FDA has, so far, seized paneer, curd, mava, masala, fish, fried onion and other items from the Mapusa interstate bus stand within a week.
