Opposition Congress MLA Karan Singh Dalal Monday raised in the Haryana Assembly the health concerns of monosodium glutamate or 'Chinese salt', as Health Minister Anil Vij told the House that there was no ban on its use but regular raids were conducted to check the product's quality.
During the Question Hour, the Congress MLA sought to know whether the state government had any information about the sale of Chinese salt and the details thereof.
"There are serious health concerns pertaining to the use of monosodium glutamate or commonly called as the Chinese salt. There are adverse side effects of this salt on pregnant women, unborn babies and new born babies, particularly on the brain development of infants," Dalal told the House.
In his reply, the state health minister said 222 shopkeepers selling Chinese salt have been raided for quality checks.
"Monosodium glutamate, commonly known as Chinese salt, is a permissible food additive and flavour enhancer, as per the provisions contained under provisions of Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives), Regulations, 2011, subject to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) level and under proper label declaration of the same," he said.
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"There is no ban on this salt," Vij clarified. He, however, said the salt cannot be given to children below the age of 12 years.
Before the Question Hour began, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced several developmental works for Jind assembly constituency on the basis of the demands raised by Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) MLA Hari Chand Middha, who passed away recently.
Middha, who passed away on August 25 following an ailment, had submitted the demands a month ago and would have raised these in the current session had he been alive and attended the session, Khattar told the House.
The chief minister announced three new roads for the constituency and said the work for setting up of 132 KV Sub Station in Sector-9 Jind would be completed by December 2018.
However, the Congress legislator questioned the rules under which the demands of a dead legislator were being taken up in the House.
"You (BJP govt) are scared of the bypolls in Jind, which is why you are setting this new convention," Congress MLA Kuldeep Sharma shot back at Khattar.
Replying to another question on "falling standard" of education in the state, Agriculture Minister O P Dhankar admitted that there was a shortage of teachers, but added that the BJP government had taken a number of steps to improve the education sector.
Dhankar was replying to the question as Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma was not present in the House.
The agriculture minister also told the House that private insurance companies were not only collecting premium from farmers under the crop insurance scheme, but as many as
3 lakh farmers of the state had been given compensation by these companies for the crop loss.
He said the government was also committed to the purchase of Bajra crops from farmers during the current season.
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