Govt ‘disempowers’ SMC, JMC health officers

Srinagar, October 26
The state government has de-notified the health officers of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) and Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) as designated officers for the food safety.
As per government order, Assistant Controllers Food Kashmir and Jammu have been given the charge of food safety as designated officers in their respective municipal areas.
The amendment was done following a proposal submitted in June 2014 in which it was unanimously resolved that Drug and Food Control Organization would supervise the monitoring and market checking of food installations and manufacturing units for any violation.
According to official sources the health officers of SMC and JMC will no more handle the affairs related to food safety including market checking as the charge has been taken away from them.
This order was issued after a high-level review meeting chaired by the Minister for Health and Medical Education Taj Mohi-ud-Din in June along with the officers of Health Department and Drug and Food Control Organization.
The order came four months after the Jammu and Kashmir government shunted the whistle-blower health officer after he exposed the use of hazardous and cancer-inducing ingredients by Valley-based corporate giants Khyber and Kanwal.
Officials said the overhaul was done ‘to unify the department and have the single control.’
“No doubt this decision will unify the Drug and Food Control Organization (D&FCO). However, the charge shouldn’t have been given to Assistant Controller Food. This will make the monitoring of food safety lenient as the officers are over burdened with their other work,” a senior officer in the D&FCO told Rising Kashmir.