MARGAO: Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu, in the presence of Ministers Vijai Sardesai and Vishwajit Rane, on Sunday, inaugurated the sub office of Export Inspection Agency (EIA) where a state-of-the-art testing laboratory will also be set up at the SGPDA market complex.
EIA Director Dr SK Saxena pointed out that the certificates by them are accepted in the European Union, USA and even Japan that have very stringent regulations towards food safety and its standards.
“The testing laboratory is expected to start functioning by March end,” he said. Suresh Prabhu said not only fish but all other consumables, including vegetables, fruits, milk and even meats will be tested at the laboratory to ensure that they are safe for human consumption.
It may be recalled that Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai had said in November that a fish-testing lab of the Export Inspection Agency (EIA), Mumbai will be set up in the retail fish market area in Margao within six months.
Health Minister Vishwajit Rane while asserting that the government is committed to providing safe food to the people to ensure that they live a healthy life said he will always be with Vijai Sardesai in his mission to improve Goa and Goans.
“Vijai is a man of action and I will always support him as he likes to get things done and is not bothered about the few opposition elements that try to pull down anybody who is doing good,” he said.
Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai admitted that the fish in formalin was a setback as people stopped buying fish which was detrimental to the Goan identity of having fish curry and rice. However, due to that setback, he said, today Goa is getting a state-of-the-art laboratory.
“The Congress artificially engineered fear in the minds of the people about the quality of fish,” he said while pointing out that the formalin issue revived the sleeping Congress. “Now anybody, including Chella Kumar, can come and test the fish at this laboratory,” he said.
He alleged that the Congress leaders do not purchase fish as it is supplied to them by somebody. “How come they have not commented on the retail fish market which is today acknowledged to be the best in India and which is being replicated at 50 places in Mumbai,” he said.
He said the opposition will have no issues at the next elections as the government will resolve all the long pending problems and said the next elections will be call for a positive mindset.
SGPDA Chairperson Renuka da Silva said besides providing a modern retail fish market that is acknowledged to be the best in the country they have also provided a cleaning machine in the market that is used to clean airports in the country.
Suresh Prabhu said Goa is one of the few amongst the 13 coastal states and union territories that have a laboratory set up by the Export Inspection Council whose certificates are accepted the world over and said the Centre will support Goa’s attempts to be the best in the world.
