Hyderabad: Alarmed by the growing threat posed by adulterated food and medicines, chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday directed officials to frame a stringent law to crack down on the practice and safeguard public health.At a review meeting on the proposed Telangana Food Adulteration and Drug Control Act (TGFADCA) at the MCRHRD Institute, the chief minister expressed serious concern over rising instances of people falling ill due to the adulteration of vegetables, fruits, milk and other consumables.Calling for a robust legal framework, Revanth asked officials to study anti-adulteration laws being implemented in other countries and adopt global best practices.“Study their best practices and prepare a comprehensive report. A bill would be drafted through discussion and tabled in the assembly. Opinions of the people would also be sought,” the CM said.He observed that indiscriminate use of chemicals to extend the shelf life of leafy vegetables, other vegetables and milk, as well as to artificially ripen fruits, was contributing to growing health concerns among the public.“Chemical residues found in crop produce due to the excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides could be one of the main reasons foreign countries are refusing to import such products. Some products are being sold in the market under the label of organic and the people are purchasing them at high prices. There is no proper system in place to verify the authenticity of the available organic products in the markets,” CM Revanth said.The chief minister directed officials to roll out anti-adulteration measures on a pilot basis in the CURE region before expanding them across the state. He asked authorities to closely monitor implementation, identify shortcomings and fine-tune the framework wherever necessary.Revanth also instructed officials to appoint whistleblowers and establish a toll-free helpline to enable the public to report cases of food and drug adulteration.
