Reporter’s Notebook

FDA not to ban ‘dangerous’ silver foil on sweets,but is keeping close watch

While the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has banned sweets coated with silver foil in its jurisdiction,the Food and Drug Administration has no intention of placing such a ban in Pune or under the area under its jurisdiction. However,FDA joint commissioner Shashikant Kekare said the FDA was keeping a close watch on sale of sweets in Pune and the surrounding areas. “FDA has not taken any such decision of banning silver coated sweets,” he said. Kekare said under the law,the use of silver foil on sweets has been permitted. “It is the adulterated variety that we have to keep check on. In the past whenever we found that sweets were coated with aluminium,we have taken action against the sweetmeat shops,” he said. Meanwhile,upholding the BMC decision,the Bombay High Court recently refused to stay a civic circular banning silver foil coating on sweets. “This only means silver foils are dangerous for health. FDA should ban it in Pune too,” said civic activist D G Baliga.

Baby girl found on temple steps creates a stir,is in good health

A four-day-old baby found abandoned on the steps of a temple in Tathwade area of Pimpri-Chinchwad has created quite a stir in the area. The baby girl was found in plastic and was wrapped in a pink towel. As the news spread,local crowd gathered at the spot,looking desperately for its mother who remained untraced. The Hinjewadi police soon rushed to the spot after the police control room was alerted by a citizen. The police took possession of the baby and first sent to a hospital. After the doctors confirmed that the baby was in good health,it was sent to a child care centre on Bundgarden Road. Police. The towel in which the baby was wrapped was apparently bought from a shop in Dange chowk area. The police said they would scan the CCTV footage of the shop to find out the mother of the baby.

Meanwhile,a female foetus was found in the bushes behind the Nimablkar Plaza building in Chinchwad area on Saturday morning. A team of Chinchwad police visited the spot. Cops took the foetus to YCM hospital for a postmortem. The viscera of the female foetus has been preserved to find out the cause of death

PCMC sets the record straight

The issue of illegal construction continues to rage in Pimpri-Chinchwad. Just when citizens thought that the Supreme Court has given a stay on demolition of unauthorised structures set up before March 31,2012,the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has clarified that the apex court’s stay is applicable only in one particular case. Municipal Commissioner Shrikar Pardeshi on Saturday said that the SC has given a stay only in case of the illegal construction of Parvati Aswani of Pimpri and not for other illegal constructions. “Our action in other cases will continue,” he said.

(Compiled by Manoj More)