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The special govt pleader for the devaswom department further submitted that the secretary of the revenue (devaswom) department had convened a meeting in this regard on Oct 15. He further submitted that, at the meeting, food safety department officials had stated that the equipment would cost approximately Rs 2 crore to Rs 3 crore and that an air-conditioned space of about 1,000 sq ft would be required for its installation.
Kochi: The state govt has told the HC that a food testing laboratory will be set up at Pamba ahead of the forthcoming Sabarimala Mandala-Makaravilakku season. The department agreed to submit a detailed proposal on an urgent basis, specifying the equipment required, the estimated cost and the commissioning schedule, and to undertake procurement through GeM (Government e-Marketplace). It also agreed to arrange qualified technical personnel on a contractual or daily-wage basis to operate the equipment and conduct the tests.
The submission was made in compliance with an earlier directive of the court to set up a laboratory at Pamba to ensure the quality of appam prasadam at the temple.