Contaminated Vegetables: Instant testing kits are available with BARC, HC told

 STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Assam government made it clear before a division bench of the Gauhati High Court that in order to make the process of making contaminated vegetables ‘unavailable’ in the market, there is a necessity of having the instant testing kits so that measures can be effectively taken on the spot itself. The Government said that such instant testing kits are available only at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and are not commercially available. And with the Deputy Solicitor General of India, who also represents BARC, telling the High Court that he would take up the matter of making the instant testing kits available to Assam with BARC, the problem of contaminated vegetables glutting the market in Assam seems to be headed for a solution.

The division bench of the High Court, comprising Justice Achintya Malla Bujor Barua and Justice Robin Phukan, heard on April 11, 2023, the PIL (18/2018) filed by advocate Seema Bhuyan on contaminated vegetables glutting the market in Assam.

The Commissioner, Abhijit Baruah, of the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, was personally present before the Court. He gave an undertaking that complete cooperation would be meted out by the officials of the department and that they would work conjointly with the other departments of the Government of Assam to ensure that contaminated vegetables are not made available in the market for the public. Food Analyst Anupam Gogoi, Government of Assam, was also personally present before the Court. The two officers stated that in order to make the process of making contaminated vegetables ‘unavailable’ in the market, there is a necessity of having the instant testing kits so that measures can be effectively taken on the spot itself, and such instant testing kits are available only at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and are not commercially available. But nonetheless, the testing kits can be procured if the authorities at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre cooperate in the matter.

Deputy Solicitor General of India R.K.D. Choudhury, who also represents the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, undertook to take up the matter with BARC and look into the aspect as to in what manner the instant testing kits can be made available.

The officials of the Government of Assam also stated that, if necessary, the nominal cost of the testing kits or whatever is necessary would be paid by the authorities under the Government of Assam.

The Court asked the government to submit the action taken report in this regard in the next hearing of the PIL listed for May 9, 2023.

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