Orissa high court flags single lab for 4.7 crore population of state

Cuttack: Orissa high court has flagged gaps in the state’s food safety infrastructure, observing that a population of nearly 4.70 crore is dependent on just one food testing laboratory.Expressing concern over the inadequacy of institutional mechanisms to enforce food safety laws effectively, Justice S K Panigrahi directed the secretaries of health and family welfare and food supplies & consumer welfare departments to appear virtually on Feb 24 and apprise the court of the prevailing situation and reasons for the infrastructural deficiencies.The HC was hearing a petition filed by two persons seeking quashing of criminal proceedings initiated against them in an alleged food safety rules violation case pending before the sub-divisional judicial magistrate, Phulbani, on Feb 12. The interim stay on the criminal proceedings granted earlier will continue till the next date, the court said.Pursuant to the court’s Feb 2 order, the director of State Forensic Science Laboratory (SFSL), chief food analyst and food safety officer, Bhubaneswar, appeared via video conferencing. After hearing the counsel for petitioners and the state, and interacting with the officials, the court made observations on the state of affairs.“Upon hearing counsel for the parties and upon careful perusal of the materials on record, this court is constrained to note, with deep concern, that there exists only a single food testing laboratory in the entire state, headed by one chief food analyst and assisted by a limited number of analytical chemists. The said solitary laboratory is presently catering to the needs of nearly 4.70 crore population of the state,” Justice Panigrahi observed.He added, “Such an arrangement can scarcely be considered commensurate with the statutory obligation cast upon the authorities to ensure food safety and safeguarding public health. The existing infrastructure appears grossly inadequate to meet the growing demands of effective enforcement, timely analysis, and quality control.”Stressing the need for urgent intervention, Justice Panigrahi observed, “This court is therefore of the considered view that the matter calls for urgent and serious attention at the governmental level.”He highlighted the necessity of establishing well-equipped food testing laboratories in every district with adequate qualified manpower.