Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Matrika Yadav has conceded that he erred in making test of Indian fruits and vegetables for pesticides without building capacity, and apologized for that.
Organizing a press conference at the ministry on Monday, he claimed that he made the mistake as the secretaries did not brief him thoroughly while advising him. He apologized for the mistake and stated that the immature decision was taken due to advice by four secretaries.
"I was not informed about the quarantine capacity at the border points. The secretaries worked as they pleased and kept me in the dark during the decision-making process," he claimed. "There was a mistake for now and I apologize for that. But this does not mean the people should be fed poison."
He accused the secretaries at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Agriculture Ministry and his ministry of abetting him to take a wrong decision. "It is not me who should arrange all the files from A to Z. The secretaries should have done that. The secretaries should have told me if that could be done or not, and our capacity suffices or not," he argued. "Secretaries of all three bodies erred. Shouldn't they have told me that our capacity may not suffice?"
The government had made testing of Indian fruits and vegetables for pesticides mandatory from the third week of June.
India had taken exception to testing of Indian fruits and vegetables for pesticides at the border. Writing a letter to top government officials, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu had expressed concern at the checking.
The testing has been stopped for now citing lack of adequate preparations after that.
The government has been widely criticized for stepping back on the issue related to public health under Indian pressure.
Minister Yadav claimed that the latest decision has been taken as the stringent provision without adequate infrastructure can disturb the market balance and increase inflation, and not due to anyone's pressure. "We have not taken decision to not test for pesticides even now. We have only said that it will not be mandatory. It was my weakness to not know the capacity of testing. It will again be made mandatory after building capacity."
