How come they are licensed to operate at all?

Raided: unhygienic food outlets without toilets and drinking water in Dehiwela - Mount area

Prepared meals and consumer goods valued at more than Rs.1 million were destroyed and final notices prior to legal action issued on some traders during raids on hotels, restaurants, groceries and supermarkets by the health authorities of the DehiwalaMount Lavinia Municipal Council.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Indika Ellawala said a team of public health inspectors carried out raids on wayside hotels , restaurants, groceries and supermarkets along the Galle road from Mount Lavinia to Ratmalana. He said cooked meals and dateexpired consumer goods were seized and destroyed in front of the business establishments concerned with the consent of the traders. Dr. Ellawala said several business establishments had ignored red notices issued on them and that final notices would be issued prior to legal action.

Public health inspectors destroyed cooked meals including rice, chicken curry, boiled eggs, vegetable curries, boiled macaroni, pol sambol, soya meat, dhal curry, kottu rotties, boiled gram that were found unfit for human consumption.

A stock of consumer goods including lentils, gram, sugar, big onions, red onions and potatoes that had been stored without following regulations applicable to storing consumer goods was also destroyed.

Dr. Ellawala said several hotels had been housed in dilapidated buildings without adequate sanitary facilities including toilets and drinking water. The waiters and other employees in many hotels had ignored the need of Several hotels had been housed in dilapidated buildings without adequate sanitary facilities including toilets and drinking water physical cleanliness and work uniforms as well.

The traders were severely warned that they should strictly adhere to regulations applicable to storage and supply of food or else they would be liable to legal action at the next inspection.

A team of public health inspectors including R.P.T.Shehan Rajapakse, H.D.Ajith Sanjeewa, Laxman Siriwardene, N.P.G.Wimalaratne, W.K.Jayasinghe, Market Supervisor, Kalinga Udayasiri, sanitary supervisors E.C.P.Zoysa, Vipula Vishvajith, Priyantha Karunaratne, K.T.C Sampath, and Dhanushka Gunaratne, carried out the raids on the instructions of Administrative PHI Lalith Perera and CMOH Dr. Indika Ellawala.