No prosecution of Mehak Spices for one year

DFCO plays with human lives

SRINAGAR, June 29: The Drug and Food Control Organization is playing with the lives of the common masses as it has failed to prosecute Mehak Spices within a year. The turmeric powder of the company was found unsafe for human consumption by Central Food Laboratory Kolkata last year and as per the Food Safety Act prosecution has to be launched within a year.

The Director Central Food Laboratory Kolkata in his communication (No. G 14-6/DO 2013-288 dated 2/5/2013) to the Designated Officer Drug and Food Control Organization District Budgam declared turmeric powder of Mehak Spices as unsafe. “The sample does not conform to the standard laid down under Regulation No. 2.9.18 – of Food Safety and Standards (Food Products and Food Additive) Regulations, 2011 as it shows Copper, Lead and Cadmium contents higher than the prescribed limit. Hence the sample is unsafe food as per Section 3 (1) (zz(iii) of FSS Act, 2006″, reads the laboratory report.

The Designated Officer Drug and Food Control Organization District Budgam took 5 months to write a letter to the Commissioner Food Safety and Standards to seek permission for the prosecution of the owner of the Mehak Spices and two shopkeepers who were selling the turmeric.

In her letter (No DD/FSSA/070/229-233 dated 23-10-2013) the Designated Officer Drug and Food Control Organization District Budgam recommended prosecution of Rohit Arora son of Sham Sunder Arora resident of 405 Akash A Amritsar, Manufacturer of Mehak Spices, Peer Shah Road O/S Gate Hakiman, Amritsar, Punjab and Shopkeepers Showket Ahmad Lone and Lateef Ahmad Sheikh.

The Commissioner Food Safety and Standards took two months to grant permission for the prosecution of the owner of Mehak Spices and the two shopkeepers (Order No. 01-CFS of 2013 dated 30-12-2013).

However, the letter of permission went missing between Commissioner Food Safety and Standards office and Designated Officer Drug and Food Control Organization District Budgam for 5 months.

The Designated Officer Drug and Food Control Organization District Budgam in her reminder letter (No DO/FSSA/070/429-432 dated 10-04-2014) to Commissioner Food Safety and Standards seeks grant of sanction for the prosecution of owner of Mehak Spices and two shopkeepers after 7 months.

The Controller Drug and Food Control Organization sent the Designated Officer Drug and Food Control Organization District Budgam another original copy (No. DFO/FSSA/JK/160/56-57 dated 13-05-2014) of sanction for prosecution of the owner of Mehak Spices and two shopkeepers.

Sources said that the copy of the permission for prosecution was deliberately misplaced so as to favour the Mehak Spices by delaying the prosecution by one year.

The prosecution was launched after one year and the Counsel of the Mehak Spices pleaded for dismissal of prosecution petition against Mehak Spices before the Judicial Magistrate Budgam on the ground that it was launched after one year. Quoting the Section 77 of Food Safety and Standards Act, he pleaded that prosecution can be launched within a year only.