Kerala: Techies relieved as government shifts food safety commissioner
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The shifting out of food safety commissioner Veena Madhavan might have cheered not only the IT community but those who had been campaigning for the capital city's iconic Indian Coffee House. Ms Madhavan, a 2010 batch IAS officer, had been strictly enforcing the food safety norms and had even initiated massive drives in Sabarimala during the recent pilgrimage season. However, her adamant stand against the Indian Coffee House at Statue in October citing hygiene issues had invited the wrath of many. Its closure even triggered an online campaign against her, demanding their favourite joint back. Adding to this was the booking of a pantry on the Technopark campus.
Her removal on Wednesday came close on the heels the Group of Technology Companies (GTech) calling on chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and expressing their concern. Technopark founder chief executive officer G. Vijayaraghavan who had also openly criticised the action, took to the Facebook on Thursday to thank Mr Vijayan and his team for "quick and strong action" telling entrepreneurs "this government does mean business." However, the CM's private secretary M. V. Jayarajan said it was quite natural to have complaints against food safety officials once they take action. But the removal of Ms Madhavan was not due to any specific complaint, but only procedural matter.
Meanwhile, GTech chairman K. Nandakumar said in a statement that the swift corrective action had sent out a positive message to the industry. "This will not only restore the confidence of existing companies but also reassure investor prospects, of the government's commitment towards ensuring an environment best suited for businesses," he said. GTech secretary P. Vijay Kumar said that the space closed down was a dry pantry where no food is cooked or sold. While there were allegations that the food safety officials were obstructed from carrying out the checks, GTech authorities disproved it by handing over CCTV visuals.
