In a move towards protection and prevention from food-borne diseases, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will restart its maiden food testing laboratory at Kondhwa after five years, said officials.
Currently, the city has only one government-run testing lab and a few private food testing labs. However, the government lab is overloaded with food samples waiting for an analysis report and charges at the private lab are exorbitant.
Dr Sarika Funde, veterinary superintendent of PMC, said, the tender to run the facility was floated last month and the tender bid has been closed.
“We have received a few proposals to run the facility out of which the agency which has quoted the highest amount has been shortlisted. The proposal to allot this tender to the private firm to run the facility was submitted to the legal department of PMC for scrutiny. The proposal has been cleared by the legal department and in a few days the contract will be allotted,” she said.
A senior official from the health department of PMC, requesting anonymity, said, the PMC-run lab will offer services at nominal rates and reduce the waiting period for food samples awaiting analysis reports.
“This lab once operational will be another option for the citizens and business operators in the city to get their food items tested. The charges for testing food items at the lab will be as per government or nominal rates,” the official said.
{{/usCountry}}“This lab once operational will be another option for the citizens and business operators in the city to get their food items tested. The charges for testing food items at the lab will be as per government or nominal rates,” the official said.
{{/usCountry}}The civic body had set up the food testing lab in 2014 by spending around ₹7.7 crore. The lab had also received National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accreditation from the government.
The lab was closed in September 2019 after the contract between PMC and a private agency to run the facility ended. Later the work to appoint a new agency was stalled as the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, said officials.
Dr Bhagwan Pawar, health officer of PMC, said, the space, infrastructure and all instruments at the lab are provided by PMC.
“The private agency will pay a monthly rent of around ₹2.80 lakhs to the PMC. However, water samples, food samples and meat samples sent by PMC to this lab for testing will be done on priority and at nominal charges by the agency,” he said.