Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 4: The High Court has fixed responsibility on the authorities to ensure that no unsafe meat is allowed to enter or sold within Jammu and Kashmir.
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The Division Bench of Chief Justice Arun Palli and Justice Rajnesh Oswal issued directions in order to curb the menace of selling food items with rotten and unsafe meat which has surfaced recently.
The court has impleaded several top ranking officials of various departments as party which include Commissioner Secretaries, Animal Husbandry, Housing and Urban, Sales Tax, J&K Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir and Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu.
These officers have been directed to file their responses by September 10, which the court fixed as the next date of hearing in the matter. The Court expressed displeasure over the failure of the Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation and the Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation to submit their replies so far.
The Bench sternly warned that if the replies are not filed before the next hearing, the concerned officers must appear in person before the Court. In a further directive aimed at safeguarding public health, the Court instructed the IGP Jammu, IGP Kashmir, and the Commissioner, Food Safety to ensure that no unsafe meat is allowed to enter within the UT of Jammu and Kashmir.
The case has been listed for the next hearing on September 10, when the compliance reports and action taken by the departments will be reviewed by the Court. The court has expressed its anguish after the attention of the court was drawn to the news item carried and published in Daily Excelsior regarding seizure of 21 quintal of synthetic cheese and expired oil. The court has also sought response from SMC Commissioner Jammu in this regard.
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