KL Report
SRINAGAR
The Government would setup mobile food testing Laboratories in all districts besides upgrading the existing food testing laboratories in two capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar to check food adulteration.
The decision to this effect was taken at a high level meeting held here on Friday. The meeting was chaired by the Minister of State for Health, Shabir Ahmad Khan.
He said the food testing labs in Srinagar and Jammu cities would be upgraded to the national level testing labs at a cost of Rs 10 crore.
He said government has already decided to create as many as 36 posts of different categories, to provide required staff in the Food and Drug Organization.
Commissioner Secretary, Health and Medical Education, Shaleen Kabra, Director Health Services Kashmir, Saleem -Ur-Rehman, Controller Drug and Food Organization, Satish Gupta, Deputy Drug and Food Controller Drug and Food Organization, Nazir Ahmad, Designated Officers of all the districts of Kashmir Division attended the meeting.
The Health Minister said that DFCO is an important Organization related to the health of the people adding that government was endeavoring to further improve its functioning and bringing more transparency and accountability in it. “Now it’s working is being reviewed on monthly basis”, the Minister said adding that the concerned authorities have been directed to intensifying their efforts to check the food adulteration in the markets and conducting of more food samples for testing on regular basis.
“Nobody would be allowed to play with the lives of the people by resorting to adulteration in Food and Drug items for satiating their petty benefits”,. Shabir asserted. He said the market checking squads of DFCO have been asked to work without any fear or favour and impose heavy penalties on the persons indulging in food adulteration adding that their licenses should be cancelled without any discrimination. He instructed Controller drug and Food Control to ensure that no attachment of the staff is made as it badly effects the functioning of the departments.
