Recent raids on betel nuts godowns in the city have outraged the traders who have accused the food and drug administration (FDA) and police of harassing businessmen. They claimed that traders are being targeted in the name of spurious betel nuts, which is impacting their business.
A delegation of traders led by MLA Krishna Khopde met Commissioner of Police Dr Bhushan Kumar Upadhyay and joint-commissioner of food and drug administration S R Kekre over the issue. Memoranda were also submitted to both the senior officials.
According to traders, police and FDA sleuths have seized a huge quantity of betel nuts in the last few days and samples are being collected from warehouses, cold storages, godown etc. Trucks ferrying betel nuts were stopped and seized, that too on the basis of complaints lodged by a few people.
Traders alleged that people with vested interest are misusing the police to trouble them. “Police are claiming that the betel nuts seized were spurious. However, they should have taken only samples instead of seizing the trucks. Action should be initiated after proper examination of the samples,” they said.
CP Upadhyay told the traders that he would talk to officials concerned and ensure that such incidents are not repeated as intercepting goods career is not a police job. FDA joint commissioner Kekre also assured to solve the grievances of traders.
President of Kirana Association Bhawarlal Jain, Asif Kaliwala, Shiv Pratap Singh, Mayur Panchmatia, Sanjay Suchak, Lalit Kothari, Rajendra Baid, Pradeep Panjwani, Jayesh Panchmatia, Arvind Koteja, members of transport association and others were present.
