Siliguri, 23rd February: The recovery of chicken meat from a popular sweet shop in Deshbandhu Para during a raid by the Siliguri Municipal Corporation’s task force has triggered widespread discussion in the city. The meat was reportedly found inside a refrigerator on the premises.
Following the incident, the shop owner Bappa Modak and his daughter Anwesha Modak spoke to the media. They claimed that the refrigerator from which the meat was recovered did not belong to the main shop but was used by factory workers. According to them, the workers had kept a small quantity of meat for personal consumption, and it had no connection with the preparation or sale of sweets.
They further stated that they have been running the business in compliance with regulations for a long time. However, they admitted that there may have been certain infrastructural shortcomings, which they assured would be rectified at the earliest.
Reacting to the incident, Leader of the Opposition at the Siliguri Municipal Corporation, Amit Jain, questioned why only a notice was issued instead of sealing the shop or cancelling its licence. He demanded immediate and strict action in the matter.
On the other hand, Deputy Mayor Ranjan Sarkar said that no establishment can be shut down without proper investigation. He remarked that mistakes can occur and that extreme punishment cannot be imposed instantly. He added that regular inspections are being carried out and legal action is taken wherever unhygienic conditions are found, alleging that the opposition is unnecessarily politicising the issue.