Visakhapatnam: Andhra Pradesh is currently ranked 29th in the country in the Food Safety Index and the state should reach at least 15th position by next year and then to the top 5, mentioned Legislative Assembly Petition Committee Chairman and Deputy Speaker K Raghu Rama Krishna Raju.

Speaking to the media here on Wednesday as part of his tour to Visakhapatnam district, he said that the issues discussed in the review meeting on strengthening the food safety department will be brought to the attention of Assembly Speaker Ch Ayyanna Patrudu and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

He stated that the Legislative Assembly’s Petition Committee will work to strengthen the food safety department in line with public health protection. The petition committee had a discussion with the officials concerned on two key issues aimed at improving public health and raising food safety standards across the state, he added.

The Deputy Speaker said that food safety will be strengthened and an action plan would be prepared to improve the state’s rank. He accepted that there is a huge shortage of staff in the food safety department. About 500 employees are required at the state level, only 25 percent of the staff is currently working, he informed.

Further, the Legislative Assembly Petition Committee Chairman mentioned that four food testing laboratories are not yet fully functioning after the bifurcation of the state, and he instructed the officials concerned to make them operational on a war-footing.

He said that there is a need to improve the lab facilities to test adulteration of drinking water and milk products.

As part of immediate measures, the Deputy Speaker informed qualified people working in village and ward secretariats will be deployed into the food safety department and speed up the process of filling up vacancies.

Raghu Rama Krishna Raju stated that a detailed proposal submitted by the officials in the next 10 days will be sent to the Speaker and brought to the attention of the government during the assembly sessions.

The Legislative Assembly Petition Committee Chairman said that they have identified difficulties in providing treatment to a few people suffering from hemophilia, and there was a discussion on including this treatment in daycare and improving the facilities at KGH.

The Deputy Speaker announced that the first regional food laboratory will be opened in Visakhapatnam in the first week of November. A decision was taken to hold petition committee meetings in Visakhapatnam once in every three months to monitor the progress. He appealed to bring the views and suggestions on preventing food adulteration and strengthening food safety to the attention of the committee.

Later, brochures related to food safety were released. Committee members and MLAs Palla Srinivasa Rao, P Vishnu Kumar Raju, and Konathala Rama Krishna participated in the meeting.