Porvorim, Aug 1 (TOI): Chief minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday said that the scare created about plastic eggs being sold in the market was a hoax, and that a sample tested by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) was found safe for human consumption. The CM blamed “poor education” for people falling prey to the rumour. The 'plastic eggs' issue comes close on the heels of the formalin-in-fish issue that rocked the state and led the Parrikar government to ban import of fish from other states till August 3.

“Common sense tells me that this (manufacturing of plastic eggs) is not an economically sustainable activity,” Parrikar said, and provided a copy of the results to MLAs. “Education should have permitted us to understand that we cannot play God and neither would economics permit it. Why would someone spend money to duplicate something that costs Rs 4 and that is made in China?”

Earlier, Congress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco showed up in the House with three eggs which he claimed were plastic.

‘Plastic eggs are a hoax, do not create confusion’

I have brought plastic eggs since the CM challenged me,” Lourenco said during Zero Hour to make a point that plastic eggs do exist. Parrikar said, “There can’t be plastic eggs. I’m positive about it. We will send them to all laboratories for testing”.

While Parrikar refused to believe that plastic eggs are available for sale in the state’s markets, Lourenco told the House that the person who found them had also intimated the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), whose officials told him to bring the eggs to the office. “You can’t take this matter lightly, it concerns (the people’s) health,” said Lourenco.

“This is a hoax. This is a fake thing,” Parrikar said. “I have studied engineering, I have studied science,” said Parrikar, while the Congress MLA stuck to his stand.

Parrikar also told Lourenco not to create confusion in the minds of the people, and to make (such) statements only after the eggs in question are tested. He also cautioned people against spreading rumours as they create a scare and affect people’s eating habits. “People stopped eating fish the last time because of rumours,” he said. “Now, people who eat omelettes on the roadside may get frightened as they think they’re eating plastic omelettes.”