There is only one Food Testing laboratory operating in the State and the Government has no plan to establish such laboratories in districts.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Pradip Amat said this in the Assembly in response to a question of BJD MlA Sanjib Sahoo and supplementary questions of a host of other MlAs.
The Minster informed that 12 of the 38 sanctioned Food Safety Inspector posts are now lying vacant and those vacancies would be filled up soon.
He said the State Government has decided to establish a Drugs Testing laboratory at Brahmapur soon with its own funds. Besides, a Drugs Control System would come up at a cost of Rs 20 crore in the State soon. For this, an MoU has been signed with the Union Government, informed the Minister.
Among others, Naba Kishore Das (Cong), Ranendra Pratap Swain (BJD), Rabi Narayan Nayak (BJP), Amar Prasad Satpathy (BJD) and Tara Prasad Bahinipati (Cong) participated.