Twenty-eight of more than 60 eateries and food establishments in Kolkata whose licences were suspended during a food-safety drive in September have been allowed to resume operations after complying with Kolkata Municipal Corporation requirements. The establishments reopened after inspections by KMC food-safety officials found that the deficiencies identified during the first round of checks had been addressed.
The special drive was conducted between September 1 and September 7. The establishments included sweetshops, which typically see increased demand during the days before and after Durga Puja. KMC officials said the businesses that reopened had applied for fresh inspections and were found fit to operate after making the necessary changes.
“Only twenty-eight establishments had applied for reopening. The rest of the establishments are yet to apply. Many of those, who have received the nod to operate, are sweetshops,” a KMC official said.
The civic body had expected more of the establishments whose licences were suspended to seek inspections, particularly ahead of the festival season. Officials said many of the remaining businesses had not yet applied for reopening, leaving their licences suspended.
The BL Saha Road factory of Balaram Mullick and Radharaman Mullick, which was shut during the September food-safety drive, has also resumed operations after the compliance process. The reopening followed the KMC’s assessment that the required corrective measures had been completed.
Alongside the inspections, KMC has been issuing notices to establishments where food samples were found to fall short of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India standards. The notices include laboratory reports based on samples collected during the inspections. Establishments have one month to contest the findings.
“If they do not challenge the test results within the stipulated period, they will be summoned for adjudication and informed of the penalty they have to pay,” the KMC official said.
Businesses that dispute the laboratory findings will be provided one of the preserved samples collected during the inspection. The sample can then be tested at any laboratory accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories, the official added.
The KMC’s process therefore combines compliance inspections for suspended establishments with a separate adjudication route for businesses whose samples have been found non-compliant. The civic body has not indicated when the remaining establishments will apply for inspection or whether further closures will follow if businesses fail to meet the required standards.
