PANJIM: It appears that the Food and Drug Administration wakes up at few times of the year, to launch a drive against restaurants and fruit vendors. Since the FDA is a full time body, Herald Media asked people, “Should strict action be taken against all restaurants serving unhygienic food, rather than just targeting a few restaurants?”
This department has to be so alert and create such an impact that every restaurant should have the fear that at any moment an inspector of the FDA would enter for inspections. But having inspections once a year and then nobody knows where they are, the unhygienic conditions continue in the restaurants and the eateries. This is only because of the lethargic in which the FDA is functioning. Many are questioning if these raids are with ulterior motives. Because there are so many serious things that are happening and the FDA seems to be sleeping about it. Take the formalin issue, take fruit ripening which happens throughout the year. There are so many restaurants with unhygienic conditions.
Trajano D'Mello, Political Commentator
Restaurants serving unhygienic food or having unhygienic surroundings should be punished or fined. But the people in FDA who are supposed to monitor these restaurants, they should be punished first. If the people running the restaurants are fined Rs 10000 or punished for one year, the staff of the FDA who are supposed to be monitoring this should be fined Rs 20,000 and officials punished for two years. Every punishment should be double on these people who are just sitting in AC cabins and doing nothing. They just sit in their office and collect their salaries and they are least bothered.
Anthony D'Silva, Social Activist
This FDA drive against restaurants, way side eateries which are unhygienic, is a welcome move. But the action should not be biased. They should check everyone on a random basis. Many of the entrepreneurs are out to make a fast buck, they are not worried about the health of the people. They are not bothered about maintaining hygiene nor quality. They don’t comply with the FDA norms. There is urgent need to take action against such operators. Because of such entrepreneurs without any conscience, people who put faith in their food and consume it reach the hospital instead of their homes.
Mariano Ferrao, Social Activist