Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Mar 22: The State Government is shielding owners of Khyber Agro Farms Pvt Ltd, whose toned milk was found contaminated with detergent and was declared unsafe for human consumption, as they have not filed challan against them but against a company nominee.
The Food Safety Officer produced challan before the court of Judicial Magistrate, Budgam today after they got sanction for the prosecution of the Khyber Agro Farms Pvt Ltd last month from Commissioner Food Safety.
Instead of producing challan against the owners of the company, the Food Safety Department produced challan against one Mohammad Shafi Gania son of Late Ghulam Mohammad Gania resident of Raipora Lar Ganderbal, presently at Larson Ganderbal, In-Charge Operations nominated person for M/s Khyber Agro Farms Pvt Ltd village Ladhoo Letpora Tehsil Pampore Pulwama.
The Food Safety Department in Budgam instead of getting sanction for prosecution from Commissioner Food Safety against the owners of Khyber got sanction against one of the employees despite Jammu and Kashmir High Court taking serious note of the food adulteration and asking companies to deposit Rs 60 crore with the Director SKIMS, Srinagar.
Shagufa Jalal, Designated Officer Food Safety Budgam, told Excelsior: “I sent several letters to the Khyber to disclose the nominee against whom challan will be produced in the court of law. They were reluctant to send any name but finally they sent name of the nominee. I sent recommendation for the prosecution of the nominee to the Government. I got the sanction last month and sent it to Food Safety Officer for filing the challan.”
It may be mentioned here that early this month Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) in a similar case filed challan against the Managing Director and Proprietor of Kanwal Agro Food Industries, Anantnag, Farooq Amin before the Municipal Magistrate, Srinagar, despite pressures for filing challan against a company nominee.
The Food Safety Officer Budgam produced the challan against Khyber under Section 26 (1)(2) (I) (II) of Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006 punishable under Section 51, 52 and 59 of Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006(34 of 2006).
The Officer also produced challan against Ghulam Ali Khan son of Ghulam Mohammad Khan resident of Wahadatpora Budgam, proprietor M/s Yasmeen Provision Store, Main Chowk Budgam from whose shop the sample was lifted last year for Laboratory testing.
The Central Laboratory Kolkatta report last year declared a Khyber toned Milk sample as sub-standard, unsafe and misbranded and contaminated with detergent.
Sources said that Food Safety Officer who took samples of the Khyber toned Milk is being harassed by the officials of the department and the owners of M/s Khyber Agro Farms Pvt Ltd. “The officer who was witness at the time of lifting of the sample from the shop of M/s Yasmeen Provision Store, Main Chowk Budgam has threatened to turn hostile in the court of law”, sources added.
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