MARGAO: Congress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco while lamenting the government’s lackadaisical attitude to the issue of formalin laced fish being sold in Goa demanded that a judicial enquiry be instituted in the matter while also accusing the government of rewarding those involved in “this heinous act.”

Briefing media persons he pointed out that the Director of Food and Drugs Administration was pressurized on July 12 to call for the samples that tested positive for formalin to the laboratory when such a test was not at all required.

“The government has played with the health of the people by allowing tainted fish to be sold in the open market and is responsible for the increase in cancer cases in Goa,” he said and reiterated his demand for a ban on import and export of fish from Goa for some more time.

“The authorities never said the fish was edible but only said it was safe as the formalin level was within permissible limit and using such language the government is playing with the lives of the people,” he said.

He also accused the Manohar Parrikar government of rewarding the people responsible for introducing formalin in fish and pointed out that the main suspected culprit Maulana Ibrahim has been appointed on the committee to advise the government on ways to boost exports.

He lamented that the government has now stopped the regular testing of fish that was brought into Goa and will conduct only random tests. “This is truly playing with the sentiments of the people as instead of winning back the confidence of the people who have lost faith in the government, it is worsening the situation by stopping testing of the fish,” he said.

He said that instead of striving to restore the honour of Food and Drugs Administration the government is trying to make Goa the cancer capital of the country and demanded that a judicial enquiry be conducted in the matter of formalin found in the fish on 12th July 2018.