Food Testing Lab far from completion
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, November 28 2012: After a short halt on the construction of Food Testing Laboratory at Lamphelpat, which is being taken up under the Capacity Building Project of World Bank, the State Government has now turned its attention to the construction process of the lab.

According to official sources, since there is no specific office building for Food Testing Laboratory in the State, all types of food testing works are being carried out at a place in Lamphelpat where a library was earlier located.

The sources revealed that High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC),a costly machine for testing quality of food, is being kept unused for so long that it is in need of repairmen today.

An office building for Food Testing Laboratory was constructed some five years back at Lamphelpat under the Capacity Building Project of World Bank.

In addition to the provision for construction of the Laboratory building, appliances of all the required machineries and recruitment of 12 staffs are also included under the project.

However, as the construction work could not be completed within the targeted period, the officials of World Bank in charge of the Project did not supply any of the required machines when they visited the State.

As the stipulated time for completion of the building is over without being able to complete the construction work, the World Bank officials left the project to be completed by the State Government on its own.

As such, the State Government is currently trying hard to complete the project by including it under the work programme of State Health Department, sources added.

At present, there is one regular staff of the Food Testing Laboratory.

The State Government has recruited a Food Analyst.

Other staffs include some who have been recruited on contracted basis while others who have come on deputation.

Altogether there are seven staffs which is inadequate.

The actual requirement of staffs in the Food Testing Laboratory is 9 Food Analysts and 9 Lab Assistants besides other Senior Analysts, etc.

In the Food Testing Laboratory in Guwahati, there are altogether 84 staffs, sources disclosed.

Further, sources pointed out that in the absence of a fully functional Food Testing Laboratory in the State, all the complicated and important tests are being referred to the referral centre at Kolkata.

So, there is an urgent need to fully develop the existing Food Testing laboratory in the State.

A Food expert explained that the type of foods consumed and causes of cancer are related.

Carelessness in consumption of foods leads to formation of cancer in human body.

Since Manipuris care less during their intake of foods, the rate of cancer in the State is high.

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