Srinagar, May 24: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Friday directed the government to file within four weeks status report with regard to infrastructure including machinery and manpower of Food testing Laboratories in the state.
A division bench of High Court comprising Chief Justice M M Kumar and Justice Ali Muhammad Magrey after going through the latest status report directed the government to file report on infrastructure and manpower of the laboratories.
The court said there is not even a whisper with regard to infrastructure like the testing laboratories and the technical persons to man these laboratories. In its compliance report submitted before the court, the government has stated that 2 posts of deputy Commissioners, 4 posts of Assistant Food Analysts, 2 posts of Storekeepers and 12 posts of Junior Assistants have been created and the process to fill up these posts will be initiated after the recruitment rules are issued.
The court underscored the petitioners plea pointing out that sampling would be totally useless a functional laboratory equipped with latest instruments is in place to carry out tests for adulteration by latest techniques.
The petitioner also said that the steps taken by the government to implement the Food Safety and Standards Act in J&K are purely ornamental and superficial and would not change the ground reality.
The Court also referred to the communication of the Food Analyst of January 9, 2013 to Commissioner Food Safety, Jammu and Kashmir stating that the Food Testing Laboratory Srinagar may be provided the Technical staff at an earliest so that the analysis of food articles can be carried out within 14 days.
The court directed the respondents to consider independent charge of the post of Commissioner Food Safety J&K so that he may prove effective in discharge of his duties.
The petitioners were represented by advocates S M Ayub and T H Khawaja while SAAG, J A Kawoosa AAG, and Standing counsel SMC, Firdous Ahmad Mir defended the state.
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