SHILLONG, June 26: The state government has lifted the ban on the storage, distribution and sale of imported fish from outside the state.
The ban, imposed on June 8, was lifted on June 24.
A notification issued by the Commissioner of Food Safety said, “It is for the information of all concerned that the prohibition on the storage, distribution, and sale of imported fish or crustaceans brought from outside the state vide order…dated Shillong, the 8th June 2023, is hereby lifted with effect from 24th June 2023.”
The government had imposed the ban for a period of 15 days after over 30 samples of imported fish tested positive for formalin.
Speaking on the ban, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said any kind of action being taken by the administration is for the safety of the citizens and added that formalin which was found in some fishes is a chemical used in preservation of dead bodies and is highly cancerous and dangerous for human consumption.
“The safety, security and health of the citizens is our first priority,” Sangma said while adding that the government wants the supply of fish to normalise but not at the cost of the health of the people.
