File FIR on complaints about pothole accidents: Karnataka HC to Home department
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Thursday directed the Home Department to register FIR on complaints regarding accidents due to potholes. The HC said when such complaints are received where accidents due to potholes have resulted in injuries or death, the police should not hide behind technicalities and immediately register FIRs.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice Ashok S Kinagi was hearing a public interest litigation about the alleged failure of the civic authorities in filling up potholes on Bengaluru's roads. The HC also directed the petitioner to include the Home Department as a respondent in the case.
The HC said citizens who have met with accidents due to potholes can file a complaint in the police station and the police concerned will investigate the matter. The HC reiterated its earlier order directing the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to survey the pothole-filling exercise carried out by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in Bengaluru and file a report within eight weeks.
The BBMP was directed to provide NHAI with all the relevant documents. NHAI was directed to file its report before February 3 and the hearing of the PIL was adjourned to February 6. During the hearing of the PIL on Thursday, the 'American Road Transport Services' which had challenged the cancellation of its road-filling contract by the BBMP submitted that it was withdrawing its application. The court allowed it to do so.
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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.
