THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Highlighting the increasing instances of food poisoning and related deaths in the state, the Opposition staged a walkout in the Assembly on Monday protesting 'tardy enforcement' on the part of the government to curb the menace.
The Opposition also cornered the government by highlighting a recent TV sting operation that showed doctors accepting bribes to issue health cards to hotel and restaurant staff without conducting the mandatory medical tests.
The government, in its response, listed out its various interventions to ensure food safety in the state and said swift action has been taken against the medical officers who indulged in the malpractice. Health Minister Veena George urged the Opposition not to level "baseless allegations" and urged its support in the ongoing efforts by the government to strengthen food safety
Anoop Jacob of the Kerala Congress (J), who gave notice for an adjournment motion to discuss the issue, alleged that the authenticity of food safety tests conducted by the government has come under doubt after irregularities were detected even in a basic requirement such as health card. He added that strict food safety rules "with enough tooth and nail" were framed way back in 2011 but they have not been effectively implemented.
The Health Minister said it was the LDF government's resolve to compulsorily implement health cards for restaurant staff from February 1.
She said the provision existed in the 2011 regulations but was not implemented by the then-UDF government. She added that the number of food safety checks and penalties imposed against erring eateries has seen a record jump in recent years compared to the UDF government's tenure.
Veena said the food safety department has carried out 64,086 checks in eateries in the current fiscal. Penalties to the tune of Rs 2.21 crore were imposed on eateries that did not comply with the rules. She added that only around 6,358 checks on average were carried out during the UDF government's tenure and the penalty imposed was around Rs 12 lakh during that period.
The Health Minister said barring the three doctors exposed in the sting operation, the majority of them refused to accept bribes and insisted on the mandatory medical checks. She congratulated the medical officers who stuck to the rules and urged the position not to generalise the entire staff citing the actions of a few. She added that a hygiene rating app and a grievance portal for the public will become operational soon.
Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan launched a scathing attack on the food safety department and accused it of not even knowing the exact number of eateries operating in the state.
"The Food Safety Department does not have a proper database and has no idea about the total number of hotels and restaurants nor does it have the mechanism to monitor their activities," Satheesan said. He added that the state GST department and local bodies had more information about the eateries than the food safety department.
Satheesan cited a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) which found that of the 259 eateries it had examined, 165 did not have proper documents. The Leader of the Opposition alleged that only 26% of registered hotels and restaurants come under the ambit of food safety checks. He added that only 9% of wayside eateries are being routinely examined by the department. The Opposition then walked out of the Assembly protesting the denial of permission to discuss the matter through an adjournment motion.