A food testing machine worth nearly ₹12 lakh, purchased by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), has gone missing, even as food adulteration has become a major public concern in Maharashtra following the appointment of Tukaram Mundhe as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The machine’s disappearance was disclosed in a written reply submitted by the civic administration during the PMC general body’s July question-and-answer session.
According to the reply, the PMC health department purchased the food testing machine in 2016-17 for ₹11.98 lakh and installed it at the Food Hygiene and Health Laboratory in Kondhwa. After the laboratory’s contract ended, all its equipment was handed over to the then veterinary superintendent in February 2018.
The issue came to light after former corporator Mahesh Wabale sought details on whether the machine was operational and if all its components were intact. In its written response, the administration admitted that the machine could not be traced.
PMC officials said a police complaint has been lodged regarding the missing machine.
The administration further stated that spare parts for the machine are generally available only for about a year. Because the laboratory remained shut between 2019 and 2022 for administrative reasons, the spare parts became unusable and were subsequently disposed of, the health department said.
{{/usCountry}}The administration further stated that spare parts for the machine are generally available only for about a year. Because the laboratory remained shut between 2019 and 2022 for administrative reasons, the spare parts became unusable and were subsequently disposed of, the health department said.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Suryakant Devkar, assistant medical officer, said, “The food testing machine was earlier used at the PMC’s Food Hygiene and Health Laboratory in Kondhwa. At present, the laboratory is being operated by a private agency.”
The revelation has raised questions about the handling and safekeeping of costly public equipment.