BHUBANESWAR: Though Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) organised a food safety programme for food vendors under the City Activation programme here on Monday, the lack of adequate vehicles with food safety squads for surprise checking has become a cause of concern ahead of Durga Puja.
With thousands of food vendors gearing up for business near the puja pandals and other public places in the city during the festivities, food quality and hygiene assume utmost significance.
Keeping in view the upcoming festival as well as the growing popularity of Bhubaneswar as a sports and education hub of the country that attracts a lot of people to the city every year, the BMC organised a food safety programme under its City Activation programme to raise awareness among food vendors on hygiene, safe food handling and proper waste management.
Around 150 food vendors from different parts of the city took part in the programme addressed by Mayor Sulochana Das and Municipal Commissioner Vijay Amruta Kulange. The municipal commissioner clarified there wouldn’t be any problem in regular enforcement by the food safety officers, even during the puja, because of the formation of 10 enforcement squads under Team Shine (Sanitation & Hygiene Inspection for Neat Environment).