KMC to conduct drive against eateries without food licence

Kolkata: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is going to conduct a drive against the roadside eateries and restaurants who do not possess food licence from the civic body.

Atin Ghosh, Member and Mayor-in-Council (MMIC) Health at the KMC said it will be made mandatory for all the restaurant owners and street food centers to have food licence.

Those who already have food licence from the civic body must be put on display against the wall while those having no such licence will be given a dead line of three months, within which they have to obtain license from the KMC, Ghosh said.

He also said the KMC will take an undertaking from the food stall owners and restaurants who do not have any food licence yet.

The health officials of the KMC will also conduct raids at the food stalls on streets and collect samples for quality check.

A list will be prepared containing the names of the restaurants, which posses the food licence and those which do not. All the street food stalls will have to get their registration done. The health department of the KMC will also assess whether the food stalls deserve registration.

Ghosh said the food safety inspectors will visit various food stalls and collect samples for tests. The inspectors will be given a target to visit a certain number of stalls per month. If any stall fails to meet the quality parameters, strict action will be taken against the stall owners.

He also said that the health department officials have collected samples of apples from Paikpara area under ward number 4 of the KMC and sent them to laboratory.

It may be mentioned here that some apples were found having a wax coating from the area. The KMC are also trying to identify the areas where such incidents might be occurring.