SMC bans slaughtering of chickens, animals on roadside

Srinagar, Mar 15: In a bid to ensure cleanliness and check the ever-growing dog menace in the City, the Srinagar Muncipal Corporation (SMC) today decided not to allow slaughtering of chickens and animals including sheep on roadside. 
 The decision was taken by the SMC Commissioner Dr GN Qasba during a meeting to review Food and Safety Standards Act 2006 (Rules and Regulation 2011).
 On the occasion Dr Qasba directed the concerned officials to ensure that no slaughtering of animals take place outside poultry and mutton shops.
 “This serves as main attraction to stray dogs besides creates unhygienic environment. We will take strict action against the offenders and even cancel their registration certificates,” Dr Qasba told Greater Kashmir.
 During the meeting, Dr Qasba directed the Health Officer to focus on implementation of new Food Act and organize awareness programmes about it.
 He also directed that the food safety officers should be imparted training on food safety to get an exposure and inculcate a sense of comprehensive food safety techniques and measures among them.
 “We should also aim at creating food specialists in different areas so that the poultry, mutton, milk and other essential commodities are inspected on daily basis separately by the concerned food specialists,” Dr Qasba said.

CLEANLINESS DRIVE CONDUCTED ON JHELUM BUND Meanwhile SMC) today conducted a special cleanliness drive on Jhelum bund at Gaadhanjipora near Zero Bridge.
 In a statement, the spokesperson of SMC said 100 sanitary workers were deputed for conducting the cleanliness drive
 The spokesperson said around four-truckloads of garbage were collected by municipal sanitary workers.
 The SMC Commissioner Dr GN Qasba urged the people to refrain from dumping garbage on the bund saying this diminishes Jhelum’s beauty.
 He further directed the concerned officials to keep a vigil and take a strict action against the offenders.

Get food sample report in 14 days

Now, getting away with adulterated food samples won't be an eye wash anymore. With the implementation of the Food Safety Standards Act-2006 in the state, the report of food samples collected from various restaurants, sweets shops, food stores etc will now be declared within 14 days. With only two labs in the state — Panchkula and Karnal — the reports of food samples earlier took a month to be released.
To keep tabs on food adulteration, the health department is also mulling to open more test laboratories so that residents don’t consume adulterated food.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also plans to provide mobile labs in Gurgaon, where food samples will be deposited.
To ensure efficiency, the department has also planned to appoint four food safety officers (FSO) in each district, as against only one post of food inspector till now. The Act also empowers residents to collect food sample from an eating joint and send the same for testing. Though the resident will have to bear the cost of testing ( Rs1,000-1,200), if the food sample is found to be adulterated, the amount will be refunded.
“A fine of Rs50,000 will be imposed on those who make false complaints,” said CR Rana, commissioner, food and drug administration.