the goan I network
MARGAO
Setting an eight-day ultimatum to the government to streamline checking of imported fish at the State borders and in the fish markets, Congress MLA Reginaldo Lourenco said he along with the people will start checking the imported fish after the deadline with kits made available by the government.
He also made a plea to the government to ban the import of outside fish in Goa and the fish exports from the State with immediate effect, saying the Manohar Parrikar-led government will be solely held responsible for the deteriorating health conditions and death of Goemkars.
Addressing the media, Reginaldo termed the FDA’s exercise of checking of imported fish at the borders as a farce and said the “insensitive” government is putting the health of Goemkars to great risk.
“People have deserted the fish markets as they are not convinced about the formalin tests conducted at the State borders. To gain confidence of Goemkars, there’s an urgent need to ban the import of outside fish in the State and export of Goan fish,” he demanded, warning ‘don’t blame me and the people for taking the law in our hands if we go for checking of the imported fish with kits’.
Saying that the FDA report made public on the formalin test conducted at the wholesale fish market have finally showed that attempts were made to hush up the matter to protect the fish agents.
“What was the need for the second analysis test. It was just to please the fish agents. And, then we all know what happened. Our Chief Minister in the subsequent report shamefully stated that formalin in the fish was within the permissible limit and there is no harm in the fish imported,” he said.
“I want to enlighten this insensitive Parrikar-led government that its statement on permissible limits of formalin in fish is inconceivable and illogical. There can never be permissible limits of formalin in fish because formalin is a taboo for human consumption as it is a part of formaldehyde, a carcinogenic substance that is used to preserve dead bodies in mortuaries and for other clinical labs,” he added.
