MARGAO
The Margao KTC bus stand came under the scanner of consumer activists and citizens over the failure of the authorities to maintain the bus stand clean and hygienic.
If successive governments have failed to develop a full-fledged bus stand at Margao, the existing KTC bus stand, running from a shed, is craving for attention from the authorities.
Inspection of the bus stand on Tuesday has revealed that the authorities were found wanting in the upkeep and maintenance of the bus stand as pan spitting was noticed on the walls. It was evident the bus stand has not been periodically washed, the dustbins provided were secured with strings thereby allowing to fall with the wind.
What’s worse is the fact that no drinking water has been provided for the commuters at the bus stand.
That’s not all. Traders at the Margao KTC bus stand came face to face with Goacan coordinator Roland Martins during the inspection of the stalls by officials of the Food and Drug Administration.
While the traders accused Martins of pressurizing FDA officials to act against them on flimsy grounds, the Goacan Coordinator insisted that the FDA is only carrying out the inspections keeping in mind the safety of the consumers.
Martins said the FDA was requested to undertake the inspection to address the negligence on four issues based on complaints from the consumers, namely non-display of FSSAI licence, non-display of name, FSSAI registration number and mobile number of suppliers on the trays displaying samosas etc, non-availability of DHS sanitary cards in the name of staff operating the kiosks and non-availability of closed dustbins for food and packaging waste.
The inspection was carried out as its “Back to Basics” campaign to focus on consumer amenities at KTC bus stands, GOACAN began the second phase from Road Safety to Food Safety with the inspection by officials of the Directorate of Food and Drug Administration (DFDA) at the Margao Bus Stand.
A team of FDA Food Safety Officers led by Senior Food Safety Officer Abel Rodrigues today inspected in the presence of Goacan volunteers, the kiosk’s and gaddas in the business of selling food items, snacks and soft drinks at the Margao KTC Bus Stand.
Moreover, it was noticed that not a single bin of the major soft drink brands and the packaged drinking water brands were found installed at the bus stand thereby creating a huge burden on the collection & disposal of plastic bottles and tetra packs.
“We have decided to write to the Chairman and Managing Director KTCL to monitor the food safety standards as prescribed by FSSAI at the bus stand as it used not only by local residents but also by domestic tourists proceeding to Konkan Railway and foreign tourists boarding buses to tourist spots like Agonda and Palolem,” Goacan coordinator told the media.
He said the NGO will write to the Health Officer Urban Health Centre Margao to ensure the issuance of health cards to all staff/personnel working in these kiosks and to the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) to identify the bins required for this District level bus stand.
Goacan has also decided to raise these issues at the forthcoming meeting of the District Consumer Protection Council if no improvements are seen by March 15 World Consumer Rights Day.
