Sheekha Bureau
Port Blair, Oct 04: A single photo of 18th Central Advisory Committee Meeting of Food Safety and Standards Authority of Indian (FSSAI) has triggered a fresh controversy over the role of a junior staff of DHS in Administrative works.
The said photo came to light when FSSAI India shared some photos of the meeting in twitter, which shows Mohd. Shabib, a Homeopathy Pharmacist attending the crucial meeting at New Delhi, sitting right next to the topmost officer of Directorate of Health Services.
The photo immediately triggered a tsunami of opinions in social media and was shared extensively in all possible local Watsapp groups.
While some questioned how a non-matriculate Homeopathy Pharmacist is allowed to attend a national level meeting some others questioned how that junior staff can represent Andaman and Nicobar Administration in such a high level meeting that too sitting next to the Head of the Department.
In between several posts raised questions over increasing influence of the said Homeopathy Pharmacist in administrative works of DHS, leaving his actual work of pharmacy.
When Andaman Sheekha reached DHS to get to the bottom of the story and take a comment of Dr. Shipra Paul, the Director of Health Services, after two days of efforts, finally the DHS met Andaman Sheekha team.
Commenting on this issue she said anyone can attend the said programme and Mr. Shabib, according to her, had attended the meeting on his own interest.
“I was invited by the Food Safety Commissioner and it was open for all NGOs, Journalists, General Public etc. Mohd. Shabib might have attended the meeting by his own and it is not his official tour,” she said adding “there was no marking on the seats and where did Mohd. Shabib decide to sit, is his choice. What’s wrong in it?”
