Mega food safety checking drive in Rajkot ahead of Diwali; 14 samples sent for testing

In view of the Diwali and Besat Varsha festivals, there is a significant surge in the demand for sweets, farsan, dry fruits, and mouth fresheners in the markets. To ensure that citizens' health is not compromised during this festive season and that people receive pure and quality food items, a large-scale mega checking drive has been undertaken by the Food Department of the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) across the city.

Various teams of the Municipal Corporation's food safety officers conducted surprise inspections at 47 well-known and small-scale establishments located in different areas of the city. During these inspections, intensive checks were carried out at shops and production units selling sweets, farsan, dry fruits, chocolates, and mouth fresheners. During this action, strict measures were taken against traders violating rules and maintaining unhygienic conditions, and inedible items were destroyed on the spot.

During the inspection, approximately 18 kg of stale, poor-quality, and health-hazardous inedible food items were destroyed on the spot by pouring phenyl. Additionally, legal samples of a total of 14 suspicious food items, including various sweets, mawa, dry fruits, and ghee-oil, have been collected. These samples have been sent to the government food laboratory for analysis. It has been stated that further legal action will be taken as per rules after the lab reports are received.

The Municipal Corporation has also cracked down on violations of hygiene and licensing rules. Notices under the Food Safety Act have been issued to 7 establishments that do not possess registration or a license as per Food Safety Standards Act (FSSAI) rules, as well as those maintaining filth in kitchen and storage areas. A total administrative charge fine of ₹27,500 was collected on the spot from traders violating sanitation, storage, and cleanliness rules.

Under the guidance of the Municipal Commissioner and Health Officer, clear instructions have been given that this checking campaign will continue continuously until the upcoming Bhai Dooj and Labh Pancham. During this period, the department will remain constantly active to maintain the quality of food items during the festivals.

On the other hand, significant development has also occurred in the health sector in Rajkot. Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda informed via social media that an advanced ‘Radiotherapy Facility’ has been inaugurated at AIIMS Rajkot. This facility, developed with an investment of approximately ₹39 crore by the Government of India, was inaugurated by J.P. Nadda through an online medium. Gujarat's Minister of State for Health, Praful Pansheriya, participated in the program via video conferencing.

This new facility is equipped with modern technologies such as High Energy Linear Accelerator, Wide-bore CT Simulator, and HDR Brachytherapy unit. This will allow cancer patients to benefit from advanced treatment methods such as IMRT, VMAT, and Image-Guided Radiotherapy. With the commencement of this facility, the need for cancer patients from Saurashtra to travel to big cities like Ahmedabad, Vadodara, or Mumbai for specialized treatment will decrease, and they will receive accurate and quality treatment nearby.

Additionally, a Digital Life Certificate (DLC) camp was organized at Rajkot on 2 November 2026 by the office of the Principal Controller of Communication Accounts (Pr. CCA), Ahmedabad. In this camp, pensioners were provided the facility to submit their annual life certificate and KYP forms. Such camps will be held at various locations in Gujarat during November 2026, including Godhra (05.11.2026), Vadodara (13.11.2026), Surat (16.11.2026), Jamnagar (19.11.2026), Junagadh (20.11.2026), and Bhavnagar (27.11.2026).