After 7 years of its launch, North Bengal’s animal feed testing lab still shut

Jalpaiguri: Seven years after its inauguration, the Regional Animal Feed Testing Laboratory in Jalpaiguri remains non-functional, raising serious concerns over unchecked feed adulteration and food safety in North Bengal. A recent state audit report has flagged the prolonged closure despite the installation of equipment worth several crores. 

The facility, located at Nayabasti Para and set up under the State Animal Resources Development department, was North Bengal’s only laboratory dedicated to testing animal feed for toxic substances, nutritional value and fungal contamination. However, no veterinarians or lab technicians have ever been appointed and the lab has remained locked since the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

In the same premises, the Regional Laboratory for Animal Disease Investigation is operational but severely understaffed. Despite having equipment to test serum, faeces, urine, and blood samples from livestock and wild animals, it lacks basic personnel, including lab technicians, attendants and even a cleaner. Most critical samples are now sent to the state research facility in Belgachia, Kolkata, due to the local lab’s limited capacity.

Dr Subodh Pal, Acting Deputy Director of the Animal Resources Development department in Jalpaiguri, has been holding temporary charge due to the absence of a permanent Deputy Director.

“A proposal has already been sent to the state government to operationalise the animal feed testing laboratory,” Dr Pal said, adding: “We have also requested additional staff for the animal disease investigation lab.”

The situation has sparked concern among consumer advocacy groups. Tapan Chakraborty, spokesperson for the Jalpaiguri Consumer Protection Association, said: “Feed testing labs are essential to detect toxic substances, assess nutritional quality, and identify fungal contamination in animal feed. Unfortunately, due to the lab remaining closed, adulterated feed continues to go unchecked. We are increasingly concerned about its impact, especially on poultry products like eggs, which often lack proper taste or texture.”

Chakraborty also alleged that poultry birds are being fed indiscriminately to artificially increase their weight for higher meat yield, compromising food safety for consumers.

The state audit report has raised questions over the “misuse of public funds”, pointing out that despite “spending crores on advanced equipment, the feed lab remains idle”.