Dearth of food inspectors and lack of a regulatory mechanism to monitor the quality of food served in over 20,000 eateries in the city has been posing a serious threat to public health, said TRS member Palla Rajeswar Reddy here on Thursday.
About one crore people consume food in different kinds of eateries, but poor quality and hygiene were taking a toll on their health. Doctors who have seen a spurt in the number of digestive disorders and kidney-related ailments have been advising patients not to consume food from outside, he said during the Question Hour in the Legislative Council.
Mr. Rajeswar Reddy said there was no coordination between the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the Health Department and he alleged that the few food inspectors who were available were taking a lenient view on the issue.
Health Minister Laxma Reddy said of the 30 sanctioned posts of food inspectors in the State, 10 were sanctioned newly, while 23 posts were vacant. The Telangana Public Service Commission was entrusted with the recruitment.
He also said the Centre would be bringing amendments to the Food Security Act and the State would follow suit. Admitting that adulteration of food was a serious issue, the Minister said awareness campaigns were being organised jointly by the GHMC and the Institute of Preventive Medicine. The vacant food inspector posts in the GHMC would also be filled soon, he said.