00:00This is with regards to certain raids that's now taking place.
00:03It's with regards to raids taking place in canteens
00:06and not just canteens of any private establishments anymore
00:10but it's now gone far beyond and even to the Vidana Souda canteen itself.
00:15Now, Karnataka Assembly canteen seems to be completely infested by cockroaches.
00:20It's on camera. That thing has been caught
00:24and we're bringing to you those very visuals as you can see.
00:27Cockroach on plates of the Assembly Hotel.
00:29Health Department finds cockroach during these raids that were conducted.
00:33The cockroach infested food for Karnataka ministers?
00:36Then that is the biggest question at this given point.
00:39Look at how disgusting a cockroach infestation
00:44exactly has been marring the Karnataka Assembly canteen.
00:49This is that we're speaking of.
00:50Not a random food joint out there.
00:53A few days ago, remember, we were speaking of raids that had taken place across Bengaluru,
00:57across these several hotels, all five-star facilities.
01:01Even there, we had seen how things were functioning.
01:05This is where the ministers, in fact, have their meals on a daily basis.
01:10And this infestation, even this kitchen doesn't seem to be immune of that very infestation.
01:16So, even lawmakers in this country are not immune to filthy food, seemingly.
01:22Now, we have Nagarjun Dwarakana joining us on the broadcast.
01:25Nagarjun, a very good morning to you.
01:27You know, just days ago, we were discussing about how the hotels have been raided
01:30and what if, you know, premium facilities like that could not be giving luxurious services
01:35or at least basic hygienic services to customers, then where should customers go?
01:40Now, let aside the hotels, we are speaking of where ministers eat on a daily basis.
01:47This is the Karnataka Assembly canteen that we are speaking of with this disgusting infestation.
01:53Where is the basic hygiene sense of these food canteens?
01:57And why is it so difficult for them to, in fact, follow simple hygiene rules?
02:02In fact, that's the right question, Shreya.
02:07Not just the five-star hotels, the health department have now raided their own premises also,
02:14be it Vidhan Souda and Vikas Souda canteen.
02:16Vikas Souda is the place where ministers and officials have their offices inside the premises.
02:25Now you can see the canteen, not just these two people, but also public visits, media visits,
02:30police personal visits, this canteen to eat on daily basis.
02:34And now if you see that cockroach has completely been infested in the plates,
02:38these are the eating plates with the videos that we have got.
02:40And the health department has finally taken cognizance of this
02:44and given notices also to the caterer who operates within the Vidhan Souda and Vikas Souda premises.
02:49Not just these two, but their own health department building where the ministers sit,
02:54which is a separate building, Aarugya Souda,
02:56there also the health department raided, it was found the same.
02:59So across sectors, be it five-star hotels to pushcats, to government canteens, to private canteens,
03:06everywhere we are seeing substandard food and unhygienic quality of food maintained across Karnataka and Bengaluru.
03:12Now the health minister himself has given an interview to India today saying that it's quite alarming
03:17that he never expected this, that people are being served substandard food and unhygienic food.
03:23You know, Nagarjun, the bigger question here is why is this disgusting lapse there in the first place?
03:32Why is it that there is this glaring negligence with something so basic,
03:36which is basically hygiene being followed while preparing food?
03:41Now, one point that could be raised is because there might be a lack of stringent action that follows such
03:49raids,
03:50that once inspections are failed, they do not meet the standards,
03:54they face stringent actions, not just their licenses being revoked,
03:58but some sort of action that follows in terms of a punishment as well.
04:02Do you think that's perhaps one of the reasons why this lackadaisical attitude with regards to food?
04:11Well, absolutely.
04:12That today, even after giving notice, immediately they might clean up everything
04:16and three months later, it's back to square one.
04:20But these canteens and the kitchens need to be maintained on a daily basis.
04:25Cockroaches are normal.
04:26Yes, we agree that if you don't keep your place hygienic,
04:29if you don't check on it, mostly pests and cockroaches infest your kitchen and your canteen also,
04:34that's a given yes.
04:35But the fact is that they don't even bother checking on these things
04:39is what the health department is concerned.
04:40So now that the health department has said that they can't keep braiding every day,
04:44it's up to the people and the canteen owners to decide what they have to do henceforth.
04:49And that's the reason why the government is also thinking of having a district committee
04:53where three people will look at all the government canteens
04:57and all the E3 places in that district and give a report every month to the government.
05:01This is still a contemplation stage where the government has not put anything on paper,
05:05but they want to take it forward as to, okay, once the notice is given,
05:08three months later what happens?
05:10The cockroaches return, the owners and the canteen operators go back to being
05:14complacent and casual.
05:15That can't be done.
05:16And that's the reason why the government wants to take it on a war footing
05:19and ensure that there's a permanent solution to this.
05:21A permanent solution is definitely the need of the hour
05:25and not just one that is solved with constant raids.
05:30That's not possible.
05:32On a logistical level, it's not.
05:34But there needs to be stringent action
05:36and a lot of people have to feel that that is what's missing
05:39in this particular hospitality industry
05:42to ensure that rules and regulations are followed,
05:46at least the basic ones when we speak of food hygiene.
05:48Thank you, Nagarjan, for putting that into perspective for our viewers.
05:52Viewers, as we speak, let's take you through what we've learned so far
05:56about these raids that have been taking place over the last one week.
05:59A food safety crackdown that has been gathering pace across the country
06:03has now reached the state of Karnataka.
06:05From a five-star hotel and eatery to the government canteens,
06:09now even food delivery warehouses,
06:11the Karnataka Health Department is widening their inspections
06:15and rightfully so because just take a look at what is being found.
06:18In an exclusive video accessed by India Today,
06:21raids on a hotel inside, Vidana Souda,
06:23premises in Vikas Souda has exposed negligence
06:28and not just at a very lenient amount, but at a gross level.
06:33Cockroaches were seen crawling on these plates during the very raids,
06:37the visual that we were just bringing to you on our screens.
06:40At the Malish Hotel used for legislators' stay,
06:43officials found cockroaches, unhygienic conditions,
06:46and no pest control measures.
06:48The health department also turned the spotlight on its own premises,
06:52the Arogya Souda canteen,
06:54where we could see expired food products,
06:56including idli, rava, and coconut pounder,
06:59all of which were found along with poor storage practices
07:02and absolutely zero pest control.
07:06Three Indira canteens were also inspected.
07:08The Gautikare warehouse was sealed after officials flagged
07:13unhygienic food handling and storage,
07:15along with labelling and misbranding violations.
07:18Now, it doesn't end there.
07:20Warehouses of food delivery giants like Zomato, Zepto were also raided,
07:25ones that we keep using in our daily lives to order in food.
07:28How are those warehouses kept?
07:31Take a look at these visuals.
07:32The Zepto facility was sealed after the officials described
07:35the conditions to be extremely unhygienic.
07:38It's health minister, UT Kader,
07:40who said that this crackdown will not stop at hotels,
07:42government canteens, hostels, PGs,
07:45and even canteens inside Vidana Souda
07:47will now be checked,
07:49given what's been revealed so far from these inspections.
07:55See, our main intention was,
07:57in other words, there's a five-star hotel, a swam hotel.
08:00For the people are concerned,
08:02the customers who go there,
08:03they are concerned for us.
08:05Because the health, the issues that are coming up now,
08:08if we don't put an end for that,
08:12somehow taking drastic steps,
08:13after five to ten years,
08:14it will be serious throughout India.
08:16All the non-communicable diseases
08:19are like now communicable diseases.
08:21Next, we want to see all the,
08:23I'm telling you,
08:24because they should get awareness.
08:25One is a PG,
08:26where students come from far away,
08:28the working class are there,
08:29they can't concentrate on their food,
08:31to go and eat in a hotel,
08:33they don't have so much money,
08:34because so much salary they don't get.
08:36They are away from their parents.
08:38Mostly 50% are not well,
08:40or they're not happy.
08:41They work with the empty stomach
08:43or something like that.
08:44So, we want to see that all PGL come online.
08:47Second thing,
08:49all the catering.
08:50Third, all the hostels,
08:52including government hostels,
08:54and including?
08:54Private hostels.
08:55Private hostels.
08:56Then all the canteens in public places.
09:00Now, Veers,
09:01let us tell you one thing.
09:03It's not that,
09:04the idea behind these raids
09:06is not to spread panic.
09:08Definitely to an extent,
09:09it is to spread awareness.
09:11Definitely,
09:11these inspections come in as an eye-opener.
09:14Not just for those consuming these food products,
09:18but also those who are responsible
09:20to maintain the very hygiene.
09:22Because,
09:23remember,
09:24it's basic food that we're speaking of,
09:27from the warehouses of these big giants,
09:30like Zepto and the delivery apps that we have,
09:34right to the very top,
09:36which is not just the luxurious hotels
09:38that we had flagged before,
09:39but the Vidana Soda itself.
09:41So,
09:41not only is awareness required at this given point,
09:44but these negligences need to be curbed
09:46and nipped at the very bud
09:48with more action coming into place.
09:52Let's get started.
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