The bench directed the government to furnish details about the number of officials required to be posted in terms of the Act and number of officials who are in place.
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Thursday directed the government to furnish details about the food manufacturing companies, food testing laboratories officials required to be posted in keeping with Food Safety and Standard Act 2006.
Hearing a Public Interest Litigation against food adulteration, a division bench comprising Justice MuzaffarHussain Attar and Justice Ali Muhammad Magarey also sought details about the persons convicted and sentenced by the court in the complaints filed under Food Safety and Standard Act.
Underscoring that the PIL is of considerable importance, the bench observed, “Before proceeding in the matter it is appropriate to seek information about the number of testing laboratories and their location in the state.”
The bench directed the government to furnish details about the number of officials required to be posted in terms of the Act and number of officials who are in place.
The court also sought full particulars of all the persons, companies or corporations manufacturing or processing any food products in the state.
The directions came after Senior Advocate and Amicus Curie in the case told court that ground realities with regard to curbing food adulteration in the state is a sorry state of affairs.
“Implementation of Food Safety and Standard Act 2006 stands implemented nowhere in the state as there are no food analysis laboratories and manpower required to be there in accordance with the Act,” Advocate Bashir Ahmad Bashir pleaded.
He said the government has been lifting food samples and number of samples lifted always exceeds the samples that are sent for laboratory analysis. “It speaks volumes about the sincerity of the concerned department to curb food adulteration. Food sampling has now turned into a goldmine,” he said.
The High Court has already taken suo-moto cognizance of news reports on food adulteration and rising cancer incidence, published in Greater Kashmir, and has treated these as a Public Interest Litigation.
Greater Kashmir stories highlighted that there was no scientific mechanism in place to test foods in Kashmir markets, including oil and milk. Some of these news stories referred to lack of facilities for cancer patients in Kashmir hospitals—including the facilities like PET-CT Scan—which is forcing many of them to go outside the state for treatment.
The reports highlighted lack of infrastructure and manpower at the Valley’s lone Food Testing Laboratory in Srinagar, and also the acute lack of treatment and diagnostic facilities for cancer patients, especially at the SK Institute of Medical Sciences and GMC associated hospitals.
The court adjourned the case and listed it for further hearing on April 25 after Senior Additional Advocate General, N ABeigh, requested for time to provide the information.
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Thursday directed the government to furnish details about the food manufacturing companies, food testing laboratories officials required to be posted in keeping with Food Safety and Standard Act 2006.
Hearing a Public Interest Litigation against food adulteration, a division bench comprising Justice MuzaffarHussain Attar and Justice Ali Muhammad Magarey also sought details about the persons convicted and sentenced by the court in the complaints filed under Food Safety and Standard Act.
Underscoring that the PIL is of considerable importance, the bench observed, “Before proceeding in the matter it is appropriate to seek information about the number of testing laboratories and their location in the state.”
The bench directed the government to furnish details about the number of officials required to be posted in terms of the Act and number of officials who are in place.
The court also sought full particulars of all the persons, companies or corporations manufacturing or processing any food products in the state.
The directions came after Senior Advocate and Amicus Curie in the case told court that ground realities with regard to curbing food adulteration in the state is a sorry state of affairs.
“Implementation of Food Safety and Standard Act 2006 stands implemented nowhere in the state as there are no food analysis laboratories and manpower required to be there in accordance with the Act,” Advocate Bashir Ahmad Bashir pleaded.
He said the government has been lifting food samples and number of samples lifted always exceeds the samples that are sent for laboratory analysis. “It speaks volumes about the sincerity of the concerned department to curb food adulteration. Food sampling has now turned into a goldmine,” he said.
The High Court has already taken suo-moto cognizance of news reports on food adulteration and rising cancer incidence, published in Greater Kashmir, and has treated these as a Public Interest Litigation.
Greater Kashmir stories highlighted that there was no scientific mechanism in place to test foods in Kashmir markets, including oil and milk. Some of these news stories referred to lack of facilities for cancer patients in Kashmir hospitals—including the facilities like PET-CT Scan—which is forcing many of them to go outside the state for treatment.
The reports highlighted lack of infrastructure and manpower at the Valley’s lone Food Testing Laboratory in Srinagar, and also the acute lack of treatment and diagnostic facilities for cancer patients, especially at the SK Institute of Medical Sciences and GMC associated hospitals.
The court adjourned the case and listed it for further hearing on April 25 after Senior Additional Advocate General, N ABeigh, requested for time to provide the information.
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