Chandrababu urges Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland CMs to restore 'good fish trade relations'

Amid allegations of formalin being used as preservative in fish transported from Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today wrote to his Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland counterparts, requesting their support to ascertain the genuineness of the claims and to restore good "fish trade relations".

Naidu said the allegations were being made to defame the state's brand in fish business and discourage supplies.

Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland had imposed a ban on fish imported from Andhra Pradesh after traces of formalin, a chemical substance used to preserve dead fish, were found in the imports from the southern state last month.

He said the state government had set up teams to "conduct quality checks for formalin, but no cases of fishermen using formalin or ammonia have been reported so far".

"Aquaculture farmers and merchants of Andhra Pradesh have strongly denied the allegations, saying it's a ploy to defame the state and reduce the market price (of fish)," the letter read.

The Andhra chief minister said his government would ensure quality checks at the levels of farmers, traders, transporters and "up to the borders of Nagaland, Assam and Meghalaya".

Naidu requested support to ascertain the genuineness of the allegations and restore good fish-trade relations with Andhra Pradesh.