Hyderabad: Hygienic food and quality products are gradually becoming a thing of the past in Hyderabad, with even the retail storage, distribution and delivery points maintained by organisations operating through e-commerce platforms now joining the list of violators, alongside food establishments—including some top hotels.
Dozens of violations have been found at these retail storage and delivery points. The most common issues include housefly infestations, the absence of medical fitness certificates for food handlers and poor pest control practices.
Other frequently flouted rules include food handlers not wearing hair caps and gloves and the improper storage of food and non-food products together. “Detergents, soaps and consumable items like curd and bread should not be stacked together, but some of them were doing it,” said an official from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).
GHMC officials, who have launched a crackdown on these retail storage, distribution, and delivery centres, said such enforcement drives will continue. On Thursday alone, 27 establishments were inspected, and 36 samples were collected for analysis. “Notices are being issued for rectification of defects, and in case of major violations, cases will be filed before the adjudication officers,” said an official from GHMC’s food safety wing.
The enforcement activity targeting delivery organisations doing business through e-commerce platforms was initiated following a spate of complaints. “We started this drive in response to frequent complaints regarding non-maintenance of quality standards and delivery of expired food articles by these platforms,” a GHMC official added.
TGECET last date extended
Hyderabad: The last date for spot admissions under the Telangana Graduate Engineering Common Entrance Test (TGECET) has been extended up to August 2. Candidates who are yet to secure admission into engineering courses through TGECET can make use of this extended deadline. For more details and updates, candidates are advised to visit the official TGECET website.
BJP denies urea shortage claims
Hyderabad: The Telangana BJP has demanded that agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao stop making what it called baseless claims and false propaganda regarding urea shortages in the state. BJP state general secretary Gujjula Premender Reddy averred that the Central government has supplied sufficient quantities of fertiliser to meet Kharif season demands.
Addressing a press conference, Reddy said the Centre has already dispatched 6.12 lakh metric tonnes of urea against the state’s projected requirement of 6.14 lakh metric tonnes. He noted that Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies have sold 4.36 lakh metric tonnes so far — 82,000 tonnes more than during the same period last year. Warehouses currently hold another 1.76 lakh metric tonnes, while 19,600 tonnes are in transit.
He dared the minister to a public debate to clarify the facts and counter what he described as misinformation being spread by the Congress-led state government. Drawing a contrast with the UPA era, when fertiliser shortages were frequent, Reddy credited the Narendra Modi government with stabilising national supplies. He highlighted the revival of the Ramagundam fertiliser plant — shut during the Congress regime — through an investment of Rs.6,300 crore, as a key step.
The BJP leader also cited the Centre’s direct financial support to farmers under the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi, amounting to `3.8 lakh crore so far, and an annual Rs.1.4 lakh crore national subsidy on fertilisers. He blamed the current fertiliser scarcity on the state government’s failure to prevent black marketing, non-agricultural diversion and stockpiling of urea. He also questioned the effectiveness of state intelligence in curbing these practices.
Reddy urged the Congress to fulfil its pre-election promise of providing additional bonuses on 14 crops, accusing the party of failing to deliver on yet another commitment.
