Bathinda, Oct. 19 -- Seven months after a state-of-the-art food testing laboratory was established with the financial support of the Bathinda-based Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University (MRSPTU), the facility is struggling to start meeting the mandate to cater to the food and beverage industry.

At a mega event held at the Bathinda university, the Union minister of state for food processing industries, Ravneet Singh Bittu, had inaugurated the facility on March 22, which was developed at a cost of Rs.2.53 crore.

The laboratory is equipped to detect pesticides, toxic heavy metals, and nutritional elements in different foods and beverages.

The project was initially pushed by the then Union minister and Bathinda parliamentarian ...