Sub-standard foodstuff destroyed after 3 years

“Later the items including turmeric powder, edible oil, skimmed milk were supplied to different ICDS centres of Pulwama district in year 2011

After remaining dumped for three years in different Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) centers of Pulwama, the government finally ordered the district administration to destroy the substandard and harmful food items costing Rs 38 lakhs.

Supplied to the department by some private companies, the items including 18570 litres of edible oil, 7000 kilograms of skimmed milk and 57 kilograms of turmeric powder were initially approved by the department in 2011 and were supplied by three different private companies but were later found substandard in 2012.

The district administration Pulwama in year 2011 invited tenders for supply of various food items for the ICDS centers of. Later the samples of three private companied were approved after proper verification and examination and were given the authority to supply the items, sources said.

“Later the items including turmeric powder, edible oil, skimmed milk were supplied to different ICDS centres of Pulwama district in year 2011.”

“Following some complaints, the food items where once again sent for laboratory test to Food Safety and Standards Organisation Srinagar where from it was reported on 05/04/2012 that turmeric powder and skimmed milk are OK but showed edible oil sub-standard and harmful”.

“Later the samples of the items were taken for one more test to Kolkata where from it was reported on 16/05/2012 that all the three items are sub-standard and harmful,” officials said.

Ironically, after two years of the report the government order was passed from secretariat on 02/09/2014 vide order number 230-SW OF 2014 DATED 02/09 2014 to Deputy Commissioner Pulwama for destroying the items from all the ICDS centres.

Finally the district administration today by the ORDER NO. 256- DGCP OF 2015, DATED 23/05/2015 ordered to destroy the items. Finally under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner Revenue, CMO, district food safety officer, Assistant Director Food and Supplies, programme officer ICDS Pulwama collected the food items from the centres and destroyed them.

While talking to Greater Kashmir, the ACR Pulwama Sajad Qadri said, “The items were dumped in different stores and we were waiting for the government order. We got the orders. Now we have destroyed all the items”.

“The private companies had supplied the ICDS substandard items but we are thankful to God that the items were not used anywhere. The companies have got some money for the supply but we will get it back under the law,” he said.