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| Strike those selling adulterated food items | | |
Early Times Report
JAMMU, Dec 22: If India is known for its vibrant democratic traditions and religious tolerance among people of diverse ethnic traditions, it is equally known for a land where even drinking water is not safe and protected. If the longevity of people in India has shown marked increase with gradual drop in the rate of mortality it is nothing but a miracle. It is nothing but God's benevolence because in India people are forced to bank on not only adulterated milk, milk products, contaminated vegetables and fruit but also spurious medicines.
Various vegetables are kept green and fresh with medicines that are harmful for people. But nobody is bothered about it. A latest survey has revealed that more than 68 per cent of the milk sold in India does not match the standards set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) The FSSAI, which had established that over 68 per cent of the "non-conforming" milk was found in urban areas, out of which 66 per cent was loose milk. According to the FSSAI's 2011 survey, water was found to be "the most common adulterant" and glucose and skimmed milk powder were added which resulted in being the main cause for "deviation from standards". Detergent was also found mixed in some samples..
What is a matter of worry is that adulterated milk continues to be sold in a number of States, especially in Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Delhi where the survey has shown that dairy products were being produced using "urea, detergent, refined oil, caustic soda and white paint" which, according to studies, are "very hazardous" to life and could lead to diseases like cancer. It has stated that over 83 per cent of the "non-conforming" milk in rural areas was found to be "loose milk". And the chances of adulteration in loose milk was higher than either the canned milk or the one supplied in sealed packets. Social activists believe that since majority of parents feed their infants with milk, which is adulterated and impure, they fear their kids getting affected by myriad diseases, including cancer.
A sizeable section of people in India are vegetarians compensating the loss from non-veg dishes by increasing the intake of milk products, including cheese, butter, Yoghurt, that have bigger chances for falling prey to various health ailments than the non-vegetarians. It is just milk and milk products. What about the stuff produced and sold by confectioners and by those selling sweets. There is an interesting feature of the Government's action on those engaged in manufacturing and selling adulterated sweets. Governments in various States are seen ordering a crackdown on stores and shops where the sweets are manufactured and during these raids huge quantities of spurious and adulterated sweets are destroyed. This exercise is being carried out once in a year and that too a few days before the start of the Diwali festival. After the festival it is field day again for those selling adulterated sweets.
For those engaged in the sale of adulterated, even contaminated and spurious, food and other consumer items there is a law under which they can be tried and punished. But there is hardly any enforcement of this law with the result profiteers and those engaged in selling adulterated food items have no hesitation even in selling spurious medicines.
Yes, India is a land plagued by scams and other major corrupt practices. Though the organisation called India Against Corruption (IAC) has initiated a massive campaign against corrupt politicians and bureaucrats, the Governments in the States and in the Centre are yet to crack a whip against the VIPs who have been engaged in corrupt practices of diverse dimensions thereby causing enormous loss to the exchequer and to the people. It would be in the interest of political parties that enjoy power at the Centre and in the States to come out of their prolonged slumber and initiate measures that would ensure a corrupt free society where there was no room and scope for those selling adulterated food item, including milk, milk products and spurious medicines. Let the ruling parties stop defending the culprits in the interest of their electoral gains and once they do it they would receive full support from people. |
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