Srinagar: Authorities of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) have
suspended a Food Safety Officer FSO) merely on ‘apprehensions’ of
conducting a raid on a food unit. The documents, however, establish that
the officer hadn’t conducted any raid in the area mentioned by the SMC
but other branch of the unit located in industrial area Zainakote.
On September 3, FSO Reyaz Ahmad Chowdary conducted a raid on the manufacturing unit of Shakti Sweets at Zainakote, which falls under his jurisdiction. The unit was subsequently sealed after it was established that the unit holder was using expired raw material.
But on September 7, SMC’s Joint Commissioner (admin) in his order (No. PS/Com/SMC/JCA/1180-81) asked Reyaz to file his response as SMC had received complaints from editor of a local newspaper of “wrongdoing during his raid on Shakti Sweets, Residency Road, Srinagar.”
“A complaint has been received that the raid has not been conducted as per norms and there are allegations of wrongdoing,” reads the order.
Reyaz in his response to the Joint Commissioner mentioned that FSO had not raided the unit in Residency Road as it didn’t fall under jurisdiction but at Zainakote unit which was sealed as per proper norms. The Health Officer had endorsed Reyaz’s statement.
“The undersigned (Health Officer) visited the unit (Zainakote) and found the unit properly sealed as per Food Safety and Standard Act (FSSA), 2006. The FSO has acted as per Section 38 of FSSA and case under 52 and 56 is being launched against the offender before the adjudicating officer,” the Health Officer said in his report.
Documents also show that the owner of the unit in his undertaking has agreed that his unit situated at Zainakote was raided by FSO on September 3 in his presence and subsequently closed after FSO found expired food material in the unit and found it in unhygienic condition.
But the Joint Commissioner, SMC, without considering these reports, on September 28 issued suspension order of the FSO stating that “there are apprehensions of wrongdoings.”
“Apprehensions that the unit holder has been harassed by the FSO for entering into underhand deals have developed in common public,” said the suspension order.
It also says that the statements of FSO and proprietor of the unit “are different and inconsistent of facts giving rise to the apprehensions and undue coverage material to print media.”
“Therefore, pending detailed enquiry into the matter, FSO is hereby placed under suspension with immediate effect and attached with Law Officer,” the order reads.
When the Joint Commissioner (admin), Fayaz Ahmad Bala was contacted, he said the FSO wasn’t suspended for “some other issue”. “There are other issues as well on which the FSO has been suspended,” Bala told Kashmir Reader.
Bala, however, refused to reveal the “other issues”.
On September 3, FSO Reyaz Ahmad Chowdary conducted a raid on the manufacturing unit of Shakti Sweets at Zainakote, which falls under his jurisdiction. The unit was subsequently sealed after it was established that the unit holder was using expired raw material.
But on September 7, SMC’s Joint Commissioner (admin) in his order (No. PS/Com/SMC/JCA/1180-81) asked Reyaz to file his response as SMC had received complaints from editor of a local newspaper of “wrongdoing during his raid on Shakti Sweets, Residency Road, Srinagar.”
“A complaint has been received that the raid has not been conducted as per norms and there are allegations of wrongdoing,” reads the order.
Reyaz in his response to the Joint Commissioner mentioned that FSO had not raided the unit in Residency Road as it didn’t fall under jurisdiction but at Zainakote unit which was sealed as per proper norms. The Health Officer had endorsed Reyaz’s statement.
“The undersigned (Health Officer) visited the unit (Zainakote) and found the unit properly sealed as per Food Safety and Standard Act (FSSA), 2006. The FSO has acted as per Section 38 of FSSA and case under 52 and 56 is being launched against the offender before the adjudicating officer,” the Health Officer said in his report.
Documents also show that the owner of the unit in his undertaking has agreed that his unit situated at Zainakote was raided by FSO on September 3 in his presence and subsequently closed after FSO found expired food material in the unit and found it in unhygienic condition.
But the Joint Commissioner, SMC, without considering these reports, on September 28 issued suspension order of the FSO stating that “there are apprehensions of wrongdoings.”
“Apprehensions that the unit holder has been harassed by the FSO for entering into underhand deals have developed in common public,” said the suspension order.
It also says that the statements of FSO and proprietor of the unit “are different and inconsistent of facts giving rise to the apprehensions and undue coverage material to print media.”
“Therefore, pending detailed enquiry into the matter, FSO is hereby placed under suspension with immediate effect and attached with Law Officer,” the order reads.
When the Joint Commissioner (admin), Fayaz Ahmad Bala was contacted, he said the FSO wasn’t suspended for “some other issue”. “There are other issues as well on which the FSO has been suspended,” Bala told Kashmir Reader.
Bala, however, refused to reveal the “other issues”.
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