Infected garlic from China stirs up trouble

Statesman News Service

MALDA 16 JUNE: The customs department in Malda today dropped the process of destroying infected garlic, that were being imported to India from China illegally, after villagers’ strongly protested against it.

Though the district administration had provided a burning ghat owned by the state government on the bank of Behula in Old Malda for the destruction of the infected garlic, hundreds of locals protested and did not allow the customs department to quarantine the fungus-infected garlic.

Identifying the seized garlic as infected by harmful (exhaustive) fungus, the plant quarantine departmental officials claimed that: “This Chinese produce may badly affect agriculture activities in India”.

At present, the administrative and customs officials are in search of barren land on which to quarantine the garlic.

Following the directives of the Central government, the assistant commissioner of customs in Malda had informed the entire matter to the district administration, seeking barren land to quarantine the siezed garlic.

As the land and land reforms department selected land, it was decided that on 16 June, in presence of the district administrative officials, police, senior officials of the customs, officials of the plant quarantine department and public representatives, the infected garlic would be burnt and buried properly at the burning ghat.

“Nearly 300 villagers resisted our staff and labourers when they started initial work to ready the place for quarantine. The local panchayat pradhan, who was supposed to be invited there during the quarantine process for certification, has already submitted a memorandum so that we can not quarantine the garlic there. The police, administrative officials and others failed to pacify the irate mob on Sunday,” said Mr AK Ghosh, assistant commissioner, customs, in Malda.

According to Mr Ghosh, the border security force seized 19.3 quintal garlic produced in China on 18 May and later handed them over to the customs department. Following Central government directives, the customs officials collected samples and sent them for laboratory test to the plant quarantine department, a Central government unit under the ministry of agriculture.

The experts of the plant quarantine department informed the customs officials that the seized garlic was not ‘fit for human consumption’ and could not be auctioned.

“Identifying the garlic as infected by harmful (exhaustive) fungus, the plant quarantine officials suggested that we quarantine the garlic as soon as possible,” said Mr A K Ghosh, the assistant commissioner of customs in Malda.

The district administration and customs officials are still trying hard to arrange alternative land for its proper destruction.

The assistant commissioner yesterday met the deputy inspector general of BSF Malda sector seeking his cooperation to complete the quarantine process of the seized garlic.

Mr AK Ghosh said the DIG BSF Mr PS Tomar has agreed to issue a no objection certificate if the district administration wants to use land along the India-Bangladesh border which is at present under the custody of the BSF.