MUZAFFARABAD
As many as 35 milk shops have been sealed and 24 fined in Mirpur district during a region wise drive against adulteration by the food authority on the directives of honorable High court of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), said Abdul Hameed Kiani Secretary of food authority here on Friday.
The honorable High court during hearing of a writ petition filed by one Shahid Zaman against adulteration and sale of substandard edible items, had directed the authorities to strictly check the food items being sold in the region and ensure supply of quality items taking strict action against the adulteration.
The petitioner had pointed out that adulteration and sale of substandard edible items were causing serious health hazards to the health and lives of the people and prayed the court to direct the authorities to take appropriate measures for the safety and healthy lives of the people.
Kiani said that the drive was launched in all the districts and small towns of the region including Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Kotli, Poonch and other towns against hazardous edible food items including milk water and soft drinks. He said sellers of such items had been warned to get a license from the food authority prior to selling their products and authority was issuing licenses to sellers after getting test report from an authentic laboratory of such items.
He said 24 milk shops out of 35 sealed in Mirpur district had been allowed to open after charging a fine of Rs.370000/ and getting a surety bond worth Rs. 500000/ each. Besides milk shops, nine water filtration plants had been traced in Muzaffarabad, Kotli , Poonch and Mirpur where unsafe water was being filled in bottles for selling in the markets by fake labeling as mineral and purified water, Kiani added.
He said all food safety officers in the region had been directed to ensure supply of pure and standard food and edible items to the people after imposing a strict check on the manufacturers and suppliers according to the standards prescribed in food authority act 2017 and assured that the court order will be fully implemented in letter and spirit.
