SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir lacks the infrastructure for proper testing of food items for adulteration.
The state has only two drug laboratories, one each in Jammu and Kashmir divisions, for testing of food samples. But both the laboratories are seriously lacking in manpower and equipments required for effective testing.
Sources revealed to Kashmir Reader that the laboratories are short of staff by up to 90 percent while the government over the years showed no urgency in filling up the posts.
“We only have 10 percent of the required staff available. The condition is more or less same at both the laboratories,” the sources said.
“We have been pleading the government to fill the positions, but till date it did not show any urgency. Some posts were created recently, but the selection process has been put on the back burner,” they said.
The laboratories, according to the sources, have not been upgraded over the years. They said the laboratories are dependent on the traditional methods of testing due to unavailability of the modern machinery.
“We are capable of chemical testing the food samples brought to the laboratory, but the machinery available with us is not up-to-date. We are forced to follow the traditional methods of testing, which are inefficient,” the sources said.
The infrastructure deficit is affecting the efficacy of the laboratories.
“If, for instance, we get 10 samples in a day, we are only able to test two because of the poor machinery and lack of manpower,” the sources said.
When contacted, Drug Controller Satish Gupta admitted that the laboratories were unable to detect latest contaminants.
“Our laboratories are similar to the ones functioning in rest of the country. We do test the samples, but detecting the latest molecules or contaminants may not be always possible,” Gupta told Kashmir Reader.
He, however, said the posts were recently created for the laboratories.
Recently, a division bench of the J&K High Court directed the authorities to take necessary steps by providing all basic ‘paraphernalia’ for making the provisions of the Food Safety and Standard Act 2006 (FSSA) “effective and visible on the ground.” The court was hearing a PIL seeking implementation of the act to check food adulteration.
The state has only two drug laboratories, one each in Jammu and Kashmir divisions, for testing of food samples. But both the laboratories are seriously lacking in manpower and equipments required for effective testing.
Sources revealed to Kashmir Reader that the laboratories are short of staff by up to 90 percent while the government over the years showed no urgency in filling up the posts.
“We only have 10 percent of the required staff available. The condition is more or less same at both the laboratories,” the sources said.
“We have been pleading the government to fill the positions, but till date it did not show any urgency. Some posts were created recently, but the selection process has been put on the back burner,” they said.
The laboratories, according to the sources, have not been upgraded over the years. They said the laboratories are dependent on the traditional methods of testing due to unavailability of the modern machinery.
“We are capable of chemical testing the food samples brought to the laboratory, but the machinery available with us is not up-to-date. We are forced to follow the traditional methods of testing, which are inefficient,” the sources said.
The infrastructure deficit is affecting the efficacy of the laboratories.
“If, for instance, we get 10 samples in a day, we are only able to test two because of the poor machinery and lack of manpower,” the sources said.
When contacted, Drug Controller Satish Gupta admitted that the laboratories were unable to detect latest contaminants.
“Our laboratories are similar to the ones functioning in rest of the country. We do test the samples, but detecting the latest molecules or contaminants may not be always possible,” Gupta told Kashmir Reader.
He, however, said the posts were recently created for the laboratories.
Recently, a division bench of the J&K High Court directed the authorities to take necessary steps by providing all basic ‘paraphernalia’ for making the provisions of the Food Safety and Standard Act 2006 (FSSA) “effective and visible on the ground.” The court was hearing a PIL seeking implementation of the act to check food adulteration.
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