Centre to tap BARC on kits to test veggies

Guwahati: The central government will take up the matter of making instant testing kits available to check contaminated vegetables with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).
The Assam government is ready to pay the nominal cost of the kits.
The bench of Justice Achintya Malla Bujor Barua and Justice Robin Phukan was hearing a petition filed by Seema Bhuyan seeking directions to the authorities to prevent entry of contaminated vegetables in Guwahati.
During the hearing, Food Safety Drug Administration department commissioner Abhijit Baruah gave an undertaking before the court that the department would cooperate and work conjointly with the other departments of the government to ensure that contaminated vegetables are not sold.
However, food analyst Anupam Gogoi stated before the court that in order to make the process of making contaminated vegetables unavailable in the market, there is a need for instant testing kits so that measures can effectively be taken on the spot itself.
He also told the court that such instant testing kits are available only with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and it is not commercially available.
“But nonetheless, the testing kits can be procured if the authorities in the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre cooperate in the matter,” he added.
Deputy solicitor general of India, RKD Choudhury, told the court that the matter would be taken up with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and the central government will decide in what manner the instant testing kits can be made available.
The court directed all to submit an action taken report on the issue by May 9.
Following an order of Gauhati high court last month, the Assam government has constituted six teams of officials from various departments, including the FSSAI to strictly monitor the movement of contaminated vegetables and conduct tests at all the three major entry points to the city.