Border row: All 145 MSRTC buses carrying 7,000 devotees return to Kolhapur from annual fair in K'tak
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) on Thursday said all its 145 buses that carried around 7,000 pilgrims from the state to Saundatti in Karnataka for an annual fair at goddess Yellamma temple earlier this week, returned safely to Kolhapur with the devotees this morning amid a simmering border row between the two states.
These devotees had travelled to Saundatti in the buses on Monday to take part in the fair, an MSRTC official said.
Maharashtra and Karnataka are locked in a bitter boundary dispute with leaders from both the states currently trading barbs against each other. The border row spilled onto roads on Tuesday with stones being hurled at vehicles entering Karnataka from Maharashtra near a toll booth at Hirebaugwadi in Belagavi district. Similarly, at least four buses from Karnataka were defaced in Pune district allegedly by activists of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.
In view of the situation, the MSRTC suspended from Tuesday afternoon 382 of its 1,156 services operated daily to Karnataka on instruction of local police and district administration.
Talking to PTI, an MSRTC spokesperson said, "All 145 ST buses with repair trucks and inspection teams carrying around 7,000 devotees safely reached Kolhapur from Karnataka early Thursday morning under the protection of the police from the neighbouring state."
A large number of devotees of goddess Yellamma from Kolhapur visit Saundatti fair for three days every year in December.
The MSRTC is one of the biggest public transport bodies in the county with a fleet of around 16,000 buses. More than 65 lakh passengers travel in the buses operated by it.
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Eggs safe for consumption, cancer risk claims unfounded: FSSAI
New Delhi (PTI): The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has categorically dismissed recent claims linking eggs to cancer risk, terming them "misleading, scientifically unsupported and capable of creating unnecessary public alarm".
In a statement issued on Saturday, the food safety regulator clarified that eggs available in the country are safe for human consumption and that reports alleging the presence of carcinogenic substances in eggs lack a scientific basis.
The clarification comes in response to media reports and social media posts claiming detection of nitrofuran metabolites (AOZ) -- substances purportedly linked to cancer -- in eggs sold in India.
FSSAI officials emphasised that the use of nitrofurans is strictly prohibited at all stages of poultry and egg production under the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011.
The regulator explained that an Extraneous Maximum Residue Limit (EMRL) of 1.0 µg/kg has been prescribed for nitrofuran metabolites -- but solely for regulatory enforcement purposes. This limit represents the minimum level that can be reliably detected by advanced laboratory methods and does not indicate that the substance is permitted for use.
"Detection of trace residues below the EMRL does not constitute a food safety violation nor does it imply any health risk," an FSSAI official said.
FSSAI said India's regulatory framework is aligned with international practices. The European Union and the United States also prohibit the use of nitrofurans in food-producing animals and employ reference points for action or guideline values only as enforcement tools.
Differences in numerical benchmarks across countries reflect variations in analytical and regulatory approaches, not differences in consumer safety standards, the authority noted.
On public health concerns, FSSAI cited scientific evidence indicating that there is no established causal link between trace-level dietary exposure to nitrofuran metabolites and cancer or other adverse health outcomes in humans.
"No national or international health authority has associated normal egg consumption with increased cancer risk," the regulator reiterated.
Addressing reports related to the testing of a specific egg brand, officials explained that such detections are isolated and batch-specific, often arising from inadvertent contamination or feed-related factors, and are not representative of the overall egg supply chain in the country.
"Generalising isolated laboratory findings to label eggs as unsafe is scientifically incorrect," the statement said.
FSSAI urged consumers to rely on verified scientific evidence and official advisories, reiterating that eggs remain a safe, nutritious, and valuable component of a balanced diet when produced and consumed in compliance with food safety regulations.
