MADURAI: The Food Safety Department officials and their inspecting teams in Madurai district are on full alert to catch hold of shopkeepers in Madurai city who are found selling and indulging in selling of banned tobacco products such as chewing and chewable tobacco, which is a banned substance as per the Food Safety and Standards Act.
“Notices are being issued to shops that are selling prohibited tobacco products….It is illegal. Cases are being booked. Based on the police FIR in Madurai district, our Food Safety wing is taking action. As per legal process, we are functioning and ordering for strict action against those shops that are selling banned tobacco products. Already more than 20 shops were fined and sealed. These shops include tea shops, petty shops, grocery stores etc. Repeated offences by shops are not spared and our action is based on police report…..The Food Safety teams’ spot inspection and raids is done regularly to find out if banned tobacco products are hidden and sold. We are seizing the banned tobacco products,” sources in Madurai district health department and food safety wing told ‘LotusTimes’ website www.lotustimes.org in Madurai today- on November 25th 2022.
Not only issuing of notices, the FSSAI officers and staff are carrying out raids, imposing Rs.5,000 spot fine and further action for repeated offences if found selling the banned tobacco products. The areas from where banned tobacco products were seized and action taken in Madurai city include: Workshop Road, Madhitchiyam, Anuppanadi, Keerathurai, Chinthamani, Thirupparankundram, Jaihindpuram, Vasanthnagar, Bypass Road. In other parts of the Madurai district, the Food Safety teams are vigilant on places such as T.Kallupatti, Alanganallur and Samayanallur etc.
