Officials in quandary over disposal of seized material as they are awaiting destruction fee from 40 wholesalers, from whom stock was confiscated; sacks lying at BKC office since July
Thanks to the lengthy procedure the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is required to follow before it destroys the seized gutka packets, its officials have been left in the lurch.
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Stocks rising: Food and Drug Administration Joint Commissioner (Food) Suresh Deshmukh points at the mound of seized gutka packets at the FDA office in BKC yesterday. Pics/Shadab Khan
It has been learnt that numerous sacks containing gutka packets worth Rs 1 crore are lying at the FDA office in Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) since July.
The officials have written to around 40 wholesalers, from whom the gutka was seized, asking them to pay a destruction fee to the BMC so that its authorities can dispose of the material safely.
FDA Joint Commissioner (Food) Suresh Deshmukh in his office
The FDA has already approached civic authorities, requesting them to dispose of the growing stock of gutka at one of BMC’s dumping grounds, and have sought Deonar dumping ground for the same.
Confirming that destruction of gutka packets will take time, FDA Joint Commissioner (Food) Suresh Deshmukh said, “Gutka stock has been seized from 40 people. These people will have to pay the BMC for dumping the seized gutka packets only then the destruction process will start.
The destruction process will take place in presence of FDA, BMC and police officials. Till then, we won’t be able to destroy these packets. We are hoping that these companies come forward and give an application to destroy their products.”
But an FDA official said it was unlikely that people will pay to see their own products getting destroyed, especially when they had invested crores in them. “This procedure will definitely not work,” he said.
Some of the reports in media suggested that FDA would have to submit an application and pay a disposal fee for disposing gutka in a city dump yard.u00a0
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