Fear of bird flu, so diplomatic bags will now be scanned

Unless certified, turkeys and geese may go missing from diplomats’ tables on Thanksgiving or English harvest feasts. On advice from the Ministry of External Affairs...

Unless certified, turkeys and geese may go missing from diplomats’ tables on Thanksgiving or English harvest feasts.

On advice from the Ministry of External Affairs, the Animal Husbandry Department (AHD) is preparing a list of livestock products for which foreign envoys and organizations may need to furnish sanitary certificates while importing them through diplomatic baggage.

Usually, diplomatic baggage is not referred to any scrutiny. But fear of bird flu, mad cow disease, brucellosis and foot-and-mouth disease has prompted the AHD to suggest that there be Regional Quarantine Officers who would issue no-objection certificates after ensuring that the product’s sanitary conditions, as outlined in the certificate, match those prescribed in India.

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The MEA has argued that “products (brought via diplomatic baggage) are for own consumption by diplomatic organization and not for sale or commercial use”. So it suggested that livestock products be accompanied by a sanitary certificate issued by the “veterinary authorities of (the) exporting country fulfilling India’s sanitary conditions and imports be allowed without special import permits”.

To that end, AHD has asked its Livestock, Dairy and Fisheries units to provide sanitary norms for the products so that, once approved, these could be conveyed to diplomatic missions. A decision on imposing the restriction is likely to take place next month.