Hyderabad: Unlike earlier, the new state food safety commissioner R.V. Karnan is dealing with pubs, hotels and other eateries, especially those in the premium segment with an iron hand.
For instance, Prsm Club & Kitchen, Vattinagulapally, which was raided on Monday by the special teams constituted by Karnan, is known to cater to people looking out for luxury and premium dining experience and clubbing.
It was from the time this IAS officer was appointed to the post that crackdowns on hotels and pubs have intensified, which, in the process, exposed the shocking food adulteration happening in the city.
In addition to hotels and premium establishments in the city’s upscale areas, other popular joints like Paradise Food Court and Chicha's Asli Hyderabadi Khana (both Masab tank), the recently opened Rameshwaram Café (Madhapur) and Kritunga - The Palegars Cuisine (Somajiguda) were also guilty of violations or selling outdated food.
“Our endeavour is to ensure availability of hygienic food and educating people about the food they are consuming. We are not shutting down establishments but only serving notices and asking them to comply with the norms. This is a deterrent,” said Karnan.
Incidentally, before he took charge, there was hardly any enforcement activity, neither by his predecessors nor by the directorate of Institute of Preventive Medicine, public health laboratories and food (Health) administration.
Only some GHMC food inspectors, who were appointed a couple of years back and assistant medical officers of health (AMOH), used to inspect some establishments. They rarely, if ever, inspected fine dining restaurants and establishments falling in the premium segment.
As per norms, any person who, whether by himself or by any other person on his behalf, manufactures or stores or sells or distributes or imports any food items for human consumption that are unsafe, can be punished with imprisonment.
