Early Times Report
srinagar, Apr 28: Taking a strong exception to lack of infrastructure for checking food adulteration in the state, the state high court today directed personal appearance of chief secretary and several other officers.
Hearing a suo-motto PIL, a high court division bench of Justice M H Attar and Justice A M Magrey impleaded chief secretary, health commissioner, food safety commissioner, financial commissioner (planning department) and owners and managing directors of food manufacturing or processing units whose particulars were given by government in the status report in PIL.
In another direction, the bench asked owners, MDs of food manufacturing or processing units to file affidavits by or before May 4, indicating as to how and in which manner, they were following the provisions of Food Safety and Standard Act 2006.
The court also directed them to provide information about the laboratories set up in their units, the equipment installed and the number of persons, having expertise in accordance with FSSA 2006, working in such laboratories.
Companies, corporations or individuals dealing in different kinds of milk were also directed to indicate in their affidavits as to how much milk they were supplying each day along with the sources of procurement.
"All the owners, MDs of Food Manufacturing or processing units shall file undertaking before Registrar Judicial, satisfying therein that they will supply food items fit for human consumption to consumers. They shall also undertake that in the event it is, prima facie, found that food items are found adulterated, their units may be liable to be sealed," the bench said.
The bench also directed hoteliers, restaurant owners and shopkeepers to ensure that adulterated or unsafe food was not supplied to consumers.
"The status report by respondents is sufficient to indicate that the people of the state have been left at the mercy of god. For checking of adulterated food, there are neither effective and adequate laboratories nor the requisite equipments. Besides this, even the manpower in terms of FSSA 2006 is not available," the bench observed. Every human being, the bench said, had inherent and inalienable right to lead a healthy life. (JNF)
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