COIMBATORE: The food safety department has sealed 295 shops and seized approximately 1,230 kg of banned tobacco products in Coimbatore over the last ten months.
They have also collected around Rs 73.7 lakh in fines from repeat offenders. Although the department conducts inspections with assistance from the police, food safety officers, however, have reported a lack of police support in recent months, forcing them to carry out raids at their personal risk.
With the illegal sale of tobacco becoming increasingly prevalent, even in non-food establishments, the food safety department has sought the police department’s cooperation to curb this issue.
Field-level Food Safety Officers (FSOs) in Coimbatore are concerned that the recent lack of coordination with the police is hindering their efforts to combat the sale of banned tobacco products. They said that while FSOs can request police backup during raids or inspections of food businesses, this collaboration is essential for ensuring safety, especially when FSOs face potential dangers during inspections.
Since 2023, raids against tobacco products in Coimbatore district have been conducted with police assistance. For the first offence, a shop may be sealed for 15 days, while a second offence attracts a fine of Rs 50,000 and the shop being sealed for a month. A third offence may lead to a fine of Rs 1 lakh, the unit being sealed for three months and suspension of the food safety licence.
A senior FSO said, "We are limited to checking places related to food businesses. Knowing this, vendors have begun selling contraband from locations not related to food business. Police can search those establishments, and so, we need their support. In some rural areas, tobacco products are illegally sold from residences connected to shops. While we can inspect the shops, we cannot enter the homes. Police support is essential in these situations."
Another concern for FSOs is manpower, which poses a threat to their safety.
"One officer cannot manage all the duties in a particular block. Many involved in these illegal activities are violent, and we cannot handle such situations alone. We can conduct raids safely with police support, but individual raids can become dangerous. As the state government enforces strict measures against contraband sales, interdepartmental coordination is crucial to achieving success," an FSO said on condition of anonymity.
There are around 390 FSOs across the state, with 23 serving in Coimbatore. They stated that they have sought police assistance for coordinated raids but have started conducting individual raids due to inadequate police response. "Having police join us would provide great support," the officer stressed.
A senior police officer from Coimbatore city responded that accompanying FSOs is difficult as they are struggling with manpower shortage even for regular work.
