KMC to conduct food drives during Puja

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will conduct regular food drives during Durga Puja, with a special emphasis on keeping the quality of packaged drinking water and soft drinks in check.

"For the last few years, we have been conducting drives during Puja to ensure that quality of food is not compromised with. But there are chances of tampering with packaged water and soft drinks. So, I have instructed my team of food inspectors to give special focus on the same," Member, Mayor-in-Council (Health) Atin Ghosh said.

He added that food safety officers have been directed to take strong action against the businessmen who will be found selling inferior quality drinks. The drive that will start in a day or two, will continue on a regular basis till Kali Puja.

Ghosh will himself lead drives at Borough 6 on October 9, in Kankurgachi area on October 10, in Park Cicus and Gariahat area on October 11. "There will be random drives in food stalls adjacent to puja pandals in South Kolkata on October 13 and in North Kolkata on October 14," he added.

Ghosh further assured city residents that no trace of formalin has been found in fish brought from Andhra Pradesh. "This year, we have collected as many as 88 fish samples from 22 markets in the city. After the Bihar government imposed ban on fish from Andhra Pradesh, we collected six samples from Patipukur Market. All these samples have been found to be safe," Ghosh said, adding that further drives will continue in this regard.

KMC has already examined the various samples of fish, meat, meat products and other things that have been collected during food drives in the last few months.