FDA HAS BEEN ON ITS TOE SINCE LAST MONTH DOING SURPRISE RAIDS ALL OVER THE STATE. A NUMBER OF RESTAURANTS THAT HAVE BEEN SHUT DOWN HAS CAUSED AN UPROAR AMONGST THE LOCALS, AS MOST OF THESE RESTAURANTS WERE THEIR EVERYDAY FAVOURITES. THE SHOCKING REVELATIONS OF HOW THEY FUNCTIONED BEHIND THE KITCHEN DOORS HAS LEFT EVERYBODY IN DISGUST. 10 SUCH RESTAURANTS WERE CLOSED IN CALANGUTE FOLLOWING THE FDA RAID.
Calangute Panchayat along with the Food and Drugs Administration on Monday shut down around 10 restaurants in Calangute after their kitchens were found operating in unhygienic condition.
The raid was led by FDA food safety officer Abel Rodrigues along with FDA officers Amit Mandrekar, Smruti Pirankar, Madhav Kavlekar and senior officer Richard Noronha. They inspected around 15 restaurants in Calangute and found the kitchens of 10 restaurants in extremely unhygienic conditions.
The following restaurants were ordered to be shut down for not following the guidelines of FDA, and for not having the necessary permits are Punjabi Classic owned by Edwin Rodrigues, M/s Dilkhush Cafe owned by Kesari Korgaonkar, M/s Hot and Tasty owned by Anil Patkar, M/s Atif Restaurant operating at two different places and owned by Sehat Ahmed M/s New Alfatur Restaurant owned by Jose D’Souza, Bavarchi Restaurant owned by John D’Souza , M/s Hyderabadi Bavarchi Dum Biryani owned by Sanjiv Gupta, M/s Bada Miya Bavarchi Restaurant owned by Sandeep Ekar , M/s Bavarchi Dum Biryani owned by Sanjeev Gupta.
While the raids were being conducted Calangute Police busted Simba Bar along with FDA for possession of narcotics. The operator of Simba Bar was arrested on charges of possessing narcotics. FDA was informed by the Calangute Police about the unhygienic conditions the bar was functioning in, but to their luck, they busted a drug racket and also found out the disgusting state of the kitchen that they were cooking and the same was extremely harmful to health.
Police also found 1.5 gm of narcotics in the premises of Simba Bar. Calangute Police arrested the operator, Peter Awon, a Nigerian national, under the NDPS Act. JMFC Mapusa then released accused Awon on bail. FDA officials also served notice to close down the bar and sealed the kitchen.
Meanwhile, Calangute Police has requested the Calangute panchayat and Excise department to withdraw the license issued to the owner of Simba Bar at Calangute. Police also booked the bar owner under the NDPS Act for allegedly encouraging narcotics in the premises. The bar owner is reported to be absconding.
What do you think about all the recent shutdowns? Please leave your valuable comments on this serious issue.
SOURCE: THE GOAN | THE NAVHIND TIMES
