HYDERABAD: The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials, who carried out surprise raids on the office of State Food Laboratory, have arrested five persons including State Food Laboratory, GHMC staff and hotel owners for issuing false food testing certificates exposing the nexus between the laboratory officials, GHMC and hotel owners.
Following a specific information that bribery activities had taken place between food control officials of GHMC and officials of State Food Laboratory for manipulation of adulterated food analysis reports, the agency conducted checks at the State Food Laboratory and found Rs 1.25 lakh unaccounted cash with the office staff which had been accepted as bribe by State Food Laboratory officials from hotel owners.
The arrested persons are Kusmpudi Balaji Raju, assistant food controller, GHMC, Narra Ravindra, chief public analyst, office of Directorate of IPM, State Food laboratory, IDA Nacharam, KV Narsinga Rao, Owner of Haveli Bar and Restaurant, Kaasiraju Srinivas, Accountant in Haveli Bar and Restaurant, Begumpet and Aepur Jagan, record assistant, office of the Assistant Food Controller, GHMC, Abids for being involved in corruption to manipulate food analysis reports pertaining to Haveli Bar and Restaurant Begumpet.
ACB Director General (DG) J Purnachandra Rao said on March 7 2017, food inspector of Central Zone GHMC collected samples of chicken biryani in Haveli Bar and Restaurant, Begumpet and sent samples to SFL Nacharam for report. The analyst examined the samples and gave unsafe report. In order to change the report by sending samples to Central Food Laboratory Pune, at the behest of Bar owner K V Narsinga Rao, the Assistant Food Controller, GHMC colluded with the Chief Public Analyst to influence the Central lab authorities at Pune.
The State Food Laboratory has been headed by Junior Scientific officer N Ravindra, Chief Public Analyst who is presently acting as in-charge Chief Public Analysist for TS and AP. This lab envisages the adulteration test for food items like cereals, cereal products, oil and fats, milk and milk products, spices and condiments, beverages and other miscellaneous food products like salt, turmeric, red chilli powder etc.
The GHMC officials usually conduct raid on hotels and food packing industries based on specific complaint or sometimes randomly.