Siligur, Sept. 2 -- The Food Safety Department continued its inspection drive at restaurants, food stalls and eateries across Siliguri on Wednesday. During the drive, the department issued a notice to renowned city restaurant 'Dhaba By Amber' after allegedly finding several violations of food safety and hygiene norms in its kitchen. Another restaurant, 'Swagat', was fined Rs. 50,000 for similar violations.
Sandeep Sen, a resident of Siliguri said: "We trust renowned restaurants and therefore regularly visit them. However, if such violations continue, we may have to stop eating at these establishments. The initiative taken by the authorities should definitely continue."
The inspections come after worms were found inside a piece of chicken served by a biryani shop in Siliguri. Following the incident, the Food Safety Department, along with the police, officials of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) and other concerned departments, formed a task force to conduct surprise inspections at restaurants, food stalls and eateries across the city.
During Wednesday's inspection at 'Dhaba By Amber,' the team allegedly found leftover food stored inside a refrigerator, an open dustbin, an unhygienic kitchen, uncovered food items including paneer and ice cream. The restaurant reportedly failed to produce a pest-control receipt when asked by the officials, among other alleged violations.
The authorities have given the restaurant seven days to rectify the shortcomings and comply with the required food safety and hygiene norms.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.