Over 2.34 lakh complaints of food items not conforming to standards in 2010: Govt

"The number of cases registered in last three years are over 24,000," Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said in reply to a written question.

To another query on shortfall of health functionaries in rural areas in 2011, he said, "There was a shoratge of 41.6 per cent male health assistants and 12 per cent doctors."

He said the shortfall of radiographists at community health centres was 54 per cent. Nurses and pharmacists were short by 23 per cent at these centres, he said.

Replying to another question, the Minister said the Indian Council of Medical Research has completed a study on diabetes in four states and one Union Territory.

"The overall weighed prevalance of diabetes in Tamil Nadu was 10.4 per cent, Jharkhand 5.3 per cent, Chandigarh 13.6 per cent and Maharashtra 8.4 per cent. The prevalance of prediabetes was 8.3, 8.1, 14.6 and 12.8 per cent respectively (in these states)," he said.