8 Special Squads of CMC to be Formed For Balijatra

Cuttack: Special squads of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) to be formed to keep a check on food quality at the historical Cuttack Balijatra 2024. The CMC shall form as many as eight special squads.

According to reports, the squad shall check the quality of food twice daily. It is worth mentioning that CMC has three food safety officers. They have asked for five more from the State Food Safety Commission on deputation basis. Two mobile food testing laboratories have also been sought.

The eight teams shall be distributed in the upper and lower Balijatra grounds. Six teams will inspect the food stalls in the upper and lower grounds. Two other teams shall be deployed in the upper ground to receive complaints from visitors.  They will inspect the food on receiving the complaint and shall initiate appropriate action.

Further the CMC shall release contact numbers on which visitors can lodge their complaints relating to the bad quality of food. The number will be clearly displayed at various locations clearly. A large amount of food had been destroyed by the CMC officials as it was stale and unfit for consumption from the fair last year. A huge amount of food items approximately two quintals such as noodles, biryani, momos, chaat etc. had been thrown away by the officials during the food inspection in balijatra last year.

It is to be noted here that the Cuttack Balijatra 2024 is slated to be held from November 15 and shall continue till November 22. Last year the fair has witnessed a humongous amount of business which was estimated to be as much as Rs. 200 crores.