AHMEDABAD: In Gujarat, there were two significant instances of food poisoning in the last week of December. On December 22, 30 people, mostly children, fell ill with food poisoning after attending a wedding in Dhrangadhra, Surendranagar district, Gujarat. In another incident, more than 100 people were affected by food poisoning after eating at a wedding event in Ankleshwar, Gujarat.
Despite the recurrence of such events in Gujarat, the government’s statistics on adulterated food sample inspections and subsequent actions, as revealed in the Lok Sabha, are alarming. In response to a question raised by MP Jyotsna Mahant in the Lok Sabha on December 15, the Government of India’s Health Department stated that during the year 2020-2021, 13,284 food samples of various types were tested, of which only 1056 were found to be non-conforming. Civil cases were registered against only 899 people, with only 543 cases being decided. It is also worth noting that the government registered only 41 criminal cases and resolved only 11 during this year.
According to the government’s response, in 2021-22, 13,663 food samples from Gujarat were reviewed. Of these, 757 samples were lifted and evaluated, and 67 samples from the prior year were also studied. The government recorded 626 civil cases and decided 668 cases. Notably, only 79 criminal cases were registered this year, with only 14 being resolved.
During the fiscal year 2022-23, 14,562 food samples were inspected, with only 978 samples found to be non-conforming. Civil charges were filed against only 2,981 people, with only 547 cases being decided. The government only registered 48 criminal cases this year, with only 24 being resolved.
Thus, over the last three years, 41,509 food samples were evaluated in Gujarat, resulting in just 4506 civil complaints and 168 criminal cases filed. As a result, only 11.2 percent of the cases have been prosecuted.
Hiren Banker, a spokesperson for the Gujarat Congress, criticized the government, stating, “Fake ghee is used in ‘Prasads’ at famous temples like Ambaji in Gujarat, but the government came to know of it late. Fake ghee, fake chilies, fake grains, fake rice are often caught in Gujarat and are openly sold, which shows the extent of the Gujarat government’s health department investigations.”
He further added, based on Lok Sabha data, that the government often fails to provide substantial evidence against counterfeiters, leading to a lack of prosecutions and penalties. Additionally, after taking food samples in Gujarat, the results emerge months later and are inconclusive.