Absence of lab test reports delays clearance

A bureaucratic shakeup has led to delays in the Customs Department clearing imported food products at Kolkata Port, according to Exim News Service.
Following this, huge consignments of imported edible oil, pulses, sugar and other items have reportedly piled up at the Port for over a month.
Samples of these commodities have to be sent to the Central Food Laboratory (CFL), which issues a test report.
The lab, which was earlier under the Ministry of Health, has now been shifted to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), resulting in unrest among the staff.
The delay in clearing the samples is on account of administrative problems and ‘issues’ with local staff, the FSSAI Chief Executive, Mr V. N. Gaur, made it clear.
The Customs authorities clear the consignments only after they get the test reports from the CFL. This has led to an estimated 80,000 tonnes of edible oil, such as palm oil and soyabean oil, and 15,000 tonnes of pulses such as toor whole, urad as also sugar and yellow peas remaining uncleared at both the Kolkata Dock System and Haldia Dock, reports said.
The Port authorities confirmed that the consignments have remained uncleared for a long time, and expressed concern that it would cause space problem at the Docks.
At the same time, FSSAI has appointed two agencies, both Kolkata-based, namely, Export Inspection Agency and Central Public Health and Drugs Laboratory to undertake the testing of the food items. But neither of them, it is learnt, is in a position to do the job because of problems created by the employees of CFL, who are opposed to the changes.
The delay in clearing is adding to supply woes and driving up prices of essential commodities.
At least 17,300 tonnes of sugar and 1.2 lakh tonnes of pulses are lying uncleared, estimated a Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) official.

(Source: www.transportweekly.com)