Srinagar, August 11, KDC: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah chaired a high-level meeting to review the ongoing Food Security Enforcement Campaign in view of recent visit to unprotected meat and meat products in Kashmir Valley today.
The Chief Minister directed exemplary punitive action against those who were found to be stored or selling unsafe food, stressing that criminals who have risked for public health should be prosecuted under the relevant provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act. He called for criminal proceedings against the most serious violations.
“Serious problems are uncontrolled and not focusing on anyone. Unscrupulous elements have played with health and people’s lives. It has to stop and those who participate in playing with public health will have to face the law.” The Chief Minister said.
“I appreciate the authorities for launching the drive and exposing dangerous rot in our food chain. There may be no compromise on public health and the drive will continue.
The CM said that there would be an audit of mechanisms to prevent imports, sales and use of concerned departments and unhealthy meat and other foods.
To tighten quality control, the Chief Minister ordered the establishment of entry-point check posts and testing laboratories in Lakhanpur and Kajigund, which to take the mutton, chicken and other malfunction items entering Jammu and Kashmir to the screen. He further directed that instead of limiting such facilities to Jammu and Srinagar, food testing laboratories should be established in each district headquarters, which increased the enforcement capacity of the government significantly. No meat should be sold without proper clearance and should not be used. The Chief Minister also emphasized that food security and drugs organization would be further strengthened to ensure strict monitoring against violations.
The Chief Minister further directed the intensive inspection drive in all the districts, in which the deputy commissioners personally surprised to surprise, to ensure strict compliance with the prescribed hygiene and quality standards. To support these works, all mobile food-testing vans are to be deployed immediately.
Accepting the justified public and media concern, the CM urged the citizens to contact the officials concerned instead of taking the law into their own hands. He warned against vigilance work and directed the Food Safety Department to follow the fixed process, work for a raid of surprise with the police and to avoid harassment of traders following security rules.
The CM also ordered registration of all food distributors, traders and vendors, brought them under a formal licensing structure. An inter-divisional committee will be formed to ensure coordination, efficiency and smooth enforcement, especially for the distribution and sale of dishes such as meat and chicken such as safe, clean, fresh, and properly labeled disastrous items.
Departments have been instructed to verify that meat supply is generated from safe sources, that cold chains are maintained, and that cold stores are equipped with deep-showing features. CM took serious notes on the use of harmful chemicals, unauthorized synthetic additives, and color agents, emphasizing their potential health hazards.
Health experts, including SKIMS director and Principal of GMC Srinagar, informed about the meeting on the health risks caused by the sick-effect and unsafe food, which urges changes in food habits to reduce the increasing incidence of chronic diseases.
The meeting was attended by Health and Education Minister Sakina Itu, Agriculture Minister Javed Ahmed Dar, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Satish Sharma, Additional Chief Secretary, Dullu, Additional Chief Secretary of CM Dhir, Principal Secretary Agriculture Sharnar Kumar, Commissioner Secretary Industries and Commercial Secretary, Civil Supply, Commissioner Foother, Civil Supply, Civil Supplies, Commissioner Futher, Commerce Futher, Commercial Futher, Commercial Futher, Commercial Foother, Commercial Futher, M. Ashraf Geetai, Principal GMC Srinagar Dr. Ison, Commissioner Food Safety Smita Setty and other senior officials.
Dr. Abid Rashid Shah presented details of the roles of various departments including recent enforcement activities, punishment prescribed under unprotected meat and poultry, and food security, food security and consumer affairs, agriculture, industry and commerce, home, housing and urban development, and district administration. He immediately underlined the 30-day action plan:
- Maps of all food businesses and vendors,
- Drive intensive inspection,
- Public reporting campaign through “Dial 104”,
- Community engagement initiative, and
- Establishing Posts in Lakhanpur and Kajigund.
Concluding the meeting, the CM reiterated the government’s commitment and enhancing coordinated and coordinated action to curb violations in sales, storage, and distribution of poor foods-especially meat, meat-based products, and dairy-consumer to increase the highest standards of safety and public health.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah appealed to the people to be vigilant and unauthorized vendors to buy any processed meat. (KDC)
