Panaji: Goa Health minister Vishwajit Rane told the House on Wednesday that the rising number of cancer cases in the state cannot be related to the use of formalin chemical on the food items.
Rane was responding to the worries expressed by MLAs on formalin being laced on the fish. The members were speaking in the State Legislative Assembly on Demands for Grants on Food and Drugs Administration.
The minister said that increase in number of cancer cases in Goa cannot be related to possibility use of formalin, a carcinogenic chemical.
“We don’t have a study about it (to conclude that rising number of cancer cases are due to use of formalin). The number of cancer cases may have been increased but we cannot make the statement on the floor of the House relating them and send a wrong signal. It will create unnecessary panic amongst the people,” he said.
The minister said that the thrust of the government was to create awareness about Cancer and create facilities to treat it.
How long will you take to do the study? After innumerable deaths?