Goemkarponn Deak
CANACONA: Doubts were raised over the functioning and conducting of Tests on Fish consignments brought into Goa at Quality Council of India(QCI) unit functioning at Polem Checkpost at the border with Karnataka in Canacona.
The transporting assistant/driver is asked to himself pick-up a sample or small quantity of fish from the fish-lot being transported and hand it over to a person, who comes out of the QCI Laboratory functioning at Polem set-up for conducting Quality Tests.
Neither, the transporter or his assistant is allowed to enter the room/Laboratory of QCI, but the lab-assistant in a matter of 15-20 minutes himself comes out and hands over the fish -sample taken for testing alongwith two types of Receipts as results of Testing reports.
Recently, when some media tried to find out the type of tests being conducted on the fish being transported into the state at this border, were refrained from entering the QCI’s supposed be laboratory at Polem and refused to answer any query and blatantly told to contact head office.
However, the two reports given by QCI’s lab assistant to the transporters in the form of two type of receipts when assessed observed neither of these receipt caries any details of tests conducted, except in one of the receipt on QCI’s name, mentions the date/time , the type of fish/consignee, quantity, whether Sea/River Fish, number of Boxes/weight, name of transporters of fish and consignments being transported from where and to which market in Goa(State).
When attempts were made to question the Test report conducted on the sample fish, the lab-assistant not refused to divulge anything, but even directed the transporters from divulging anything to the media/reporters.
An activist Cleston Viegas who happened to be at the border on seeing the reports stated this QCI lab is established at Polem to check fish quality especially if the fish is formalin laced or free from Formalin, before being allowed in Goan markets. ‘We cant see anywhere in the two receipts given by QCI to this Fish-transporting container (from Odisha) Carrying Velli (Silver Belly) filled containers, that fish is free from Formalin, or the report of fish testing is normal.
For more than 15 minutes the fish sample was inside meant for checking. How do we know what tests were conducted inside, and whether is fish is safe and unadulterated for human consumption?
This consignment is meant for Margao Market, How will they’ll understand whether this fish is safe and not formaline laced, whether they’ll any conduct any other tests, as far as we know no where else fish tests are conducted ? Atleast we know that no other tests are conducted anywhere else except for QCI lab(Unit) at Polem. What is the use of this QCI lab unit where more than 13 people are reportedly working is opened?
If no proper testing is not done and proper reports are not issued to the transporters? There are no benefits for the people of Goa from this QCI Testing unit at Polem; they don’t have any answer, infact if anything is asked they are arrogantly returning to ask their head-office.
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