Chandigarh, October 16
Even as a major chunk of the city's population is dependent on loose milk supplied by over 3,000 milkmen every day, the Administration seems least concerned about the health of residents. Of the over 3,000 vendors, who supply nearly 30,00,000 litres of milk in the city daily, only 25 are registered with the UT food safety cell while the others have been conveniently giving all regulations the go-by.
Consider this: In the past five years, only 17 samples of milk were collected from local vendors, two of which were found substandard. While officers in the UT food safety cell admitted that mixing water in milk was the most common form of adulteration, records of only two such violations exist in the cell.
According to sources, massive protests held by milkmen in the past during milk sampling has been a deterrent for food safety officers in acting tough with them. “Four years ago, after one of the milk vendors was challaned, the association of vendors held a massive protest. They also stopped the supply of milk to the city,” said a senior official in the UT Health Department.
The supply of packaged milk, largely Verka milk, is close to 3,50,000 litres per day in city.
The local vendors supply milk in aluminum and plastic containers on bicycles, motorbikes and vans.
Food safety cell working under adverse conditions
Of the eight posts of food safety officer, five are lying vacant for the past over five years.
The food safety cell does not have its own dedicated vehicle.
Even for carrying out raids on sweets shops, it has to depend on taxis. The department did not have a qualified and regular designated officer (DO) until January this year. While one designated officer was appointed in January, another one was appointed two months ago.
Milk containers not sent for safe food handling test
In reply to a query posed under the RTI Act, the food safety cell said no containers of milk being used by local vendors were sent for the safe food handling test.
Several milkmen challaned: SSP
Senior Superintendent of Police, Traffic, Maneesh Chaudhary said, “We have issued a significant number of challans to those who carry multiple drums on motorcycles under the Motor Vehicles Act. Apart from overloading, these vendors often end up covering number plates with drums."
Plan to conduct survey on milk vendors: Officer
"We are planning to carry out a survey on milk vendors in the city to find out how many of them move around in the city and the quantity supplied by them."—Dr KS Rana, designated officer of the food safety cell
We charge as per quality, say milkmen
"We provide milk by categorising it on the basis of thickness (fat content). There is no question on quality variation as we charge money as per the quality."—Ajmer Singh Landran, chairman, association of milk vendors
Even as a major chunk of the city's population is dependent on loose milk supplied by over 3,000 milkmen every day, the Administration seems least concerned about the health of residents. Of the over 3,000 vendors, who supply nearly 30,00,000 litres of milk in the city daily, only 25 are registered with the UT food safety cell while the others have been conveniently giving all regulations the go-by.
Consider this: In the past five years, only 17 samples of milk were collected from local vendors, two of which were found substandard. While officers in the UT food safety cell admitted that mixing water in milk was the most common form of adulteration, records of only two such violations exist in the cell.
According to sources, massive protests held by milkmen in the past during milk sampling has been a deterrent for food safety officers in acting tough with them. “Four years ago, after one of the milk vendors was challaned, the association of vendors held a massive protest. They also stopped the supply of milk to the city,” said a senior official in the UT Health Department.
The supply of packaged milk, largely Verka milk, is close to 3,50,000 litres per day in city.
The local vendors supply milk in aluminum and plastic containers on bicycles, motorbikes and vans.
Food safety cell working under adverse conditions
Of the eight posts of food safety officer, five are lying vacant for the past over five years.
The food safety cell does not have its own dedicated vehicle.
Even for carrying out raids on sweets shops, it has to depend on taxis. The department did not have a qualified and regular designated officer (DO) until January this year. While one designated officer was appointed in January, another one was appointed two months ago.
Milk containers not sent for safe food handling test
In reply to a query posed under the RTI Act, the food safety cell said no containers of milk being used by local vendors were sent for the safe food handling test.
Several milkmen challaned: SSP
Senior Superintendent of Police, Traffic, Maneesh Chaudhary said, “We have issued a significant number of challans to those who carry multiple drums on motorcycles under the Motor Vehicles Act. Apart from overloading, these vendors often end up covering number plates with drums."
Plan to conduct survey on milk vendors: Officer
"We are planning to carry out a survey on milk vendors in the city to find out how many of them move around in the city and the quantity supplied by them."—Dr KS Rana, designated officer of the food safety cell
We charge as per quality, say milkmen
"We provide milk by categorising it on the basis of thickness (fat content). There is no question on quality variation as we charge money as per the quality."—Ajmer Singh Landran, chairman, association of milk vendors
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