Srinagar
Following reports of substandard food products sold by leading business groups, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court today directed three leading companies to deposit Rs 10 crore each.
A division bench of Muzaffar Hussain Attar and Tashi Rabistan directed Delhi-based spice company A-1 Agro Products and Srinagar-based Khyber and Kanwal Spices groups to deposit the amount in the account of the Director, Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, within two weeks.
The court is hearing a public interest litigation seeking implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, in the state to check adulteration.
The orders were passed days after the health wing of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) decided to initiate legal action against several leading business groups found selling substandard food items.
The products were found substandard after the SMC for the first time sent samples to referral laboratories outside the state for quality check.
SMC Health Officer Shafqat Khan said they had found food products such as "saunf" powder of the Kanwal group and the Khyber-packaged milk unsafe for consumption.
He said the health wing had collected more than 120 samples of food products so far from the city markets and strict action under the FSSA would be initiated against those violating the rules. He said the adulterated food products would also be lifted from the city markets.
While Khan said the locals should refrain from consuming food products declared substandard, he said people should also contact the SMC in case of any complaints in this regard so that timely action could be taken.
He said the SMC health wing would continue with the drive against adulterated food items.
In a soup
The High Court passed the orders after food samples of the Khyber and Kanwal groups collected by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation were found to be substandard.
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