Dearth of manpower forces KMC to shelve plan to carry out spl food drive

Kolkata: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will not be able to conduct its special food drive during Christmas and New Year this time due to shortage of manpower.

However, its routine drive to take stock of the food quality will continue on a daily basis as usual.

"We have 22 food safety officers among whom 12 officers have been engaged in election duty. One of the officer is affected with COVID-19. So we will not be able to conduct any special food drive this time," said a senior official in the Food Safety wing of KMC.

The food safety wing of KMC have been conducting such special drives during Christmas every year since the year 2015.

The food safety team examines the kitchen at restaurants to ensure that the ingredients used for cooking meet the standards of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

(FSSAI) and cleanliness and hygiene is maintained or not.

"Christmas is not limited to savouring cakes and pastries, the food lovers throng the restaurants in huge numbers during this season. So it is necessary to maintain vigil on the food stuff that is being dished out to customers. We will try to cover as many restaurants and

food stalls possible in our regular drive," assured an official.

The KMC had held special food drives during the Durga Puja and the Kali Puja in restaurants and food stalls this year.