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Indore, October 27 (IANS) Another food and drug testing laboratory has been opened in Indore, Madhya Pradesh to check adulteration in food items.
The laboratory is equipped with state-of-the-art technology equipment and can test 20,000 samples a day. While inaugurating the lab, Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav issued a stern warning to those involved in food and medicine adulteration and said, “Adulterators will not be spared. Strict action will be taken against anyone playing with the health of our citizens,” he announced while standing in front of the newly constructed five-storey facility spread over 3,700 square feet and built at a cost of over Rs 8 crore.
The capacity to test 20,000 samples annually is a significant leap from the sole facility in Bhopal, which handles only 6,000 samples per year. For the first time, mobile testing units were also started in Indore. These vans will travel across markets, rural areas and highways, collecting samples and delivering results on the spot, ensuring rapid response to potential contamination.
Dr. Yadav described the government as very sensitive towards public health. Under his leadership, the number of food and drug testing laboratories is being expanded rapidly. The Chief Minister further said, after Bhopal and now Indore, a new lab will be opened in Jabalpur in the next three months, after which labs will also be opened in Gwalior and Ujjain.
The Ujjain laboratory will be developed as per national standards in preparation for the grand Simhastha 2028, which is expected to attract over 50 lakh pilgrims.
The Chief Minister announced that mobile microbiological testing units would soon be deployed across the state to detect pathogens in milk, water and street food within a few hours. Ultimately, every district in the state will have its own testing centre, complete with public awareness programs and certification services under FSSAI guidelines.
He also highlighted 18 new policies to support the food processing industry, including full stamp-duty exemption on land for cold-chain infrastructure, zero-interest loans for micro food parks and a dedicated enterprise fund for women-led farmer-producer organisations. Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya said that a new chapter of development of the state is being written.
–IANS
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