Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Dec 23: In a landmark judgment aimed at safeguarding the health of people, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court today imposed a penalty of Rs 30 crore to three food products manufacturing companies whose products were found adulterated and unsafe for human consumption.
A division Bench of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court comprising Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar and Justice Tashi Rabstan passed the order after studying the reports of Central Food Laboratory Kolkata that has declared Khyber Milk manufactured by Khyber Agro Farms, turmeric power manufactured by AVON Agro Industries Pvt Ltd Delhi and Saunf powder manufactured by M/S Kanwal Agro Food Industries Anantnag not fit for human consumption for being health hazards.
The Court while directing the three companies to deposit Rs 10 crore each with the Director SKIMS, Soura, Srinagar ordered him to keep the amount in a separate account and wait for the further orders from the court for its utilization. “In our considered view, at this stage, we deem it appropriate to direct the owners/Managing Directors of the above said companies, corporations to deposit amount of Rs 10 crore each with the Director SKIMS, Soura, Srinagar within two weeks from today”, directed the court.
The court observed: “Unfortunately some people are now trading in human miseries without realising as how many people must have suffered from diseases after consuming the aforementioned spices and toned milk. Those people who must have been afflicted with the disease because of consumption of these spices and toned milk, besides spending huge amount on their treatments must have undergone huge mental trauma. At this stage, it may not be possible to identify all such persons but the treatment has to be meted out to the people who have suffered or who may suffer from various diseases.”
The Deputy Commissioner, Food Safety Kashmir, has been directed to send copies of the results from the Central Food Laboratory, Kolkata to Director SKIMS, Srinagar.
The Court directed the Director SKIMS, Srinagar to file report about the nature of diseases caused by the colouring and other material which has been found in the spices and the toned milk.
The Government has been directed to give wide publicity in the print and electronic media about these food items so as to create general awareness in the public for non use of these adulterated food products.
It may be mentioned here that Deputy Food and Drug Control Srinagar, Dr Nazir Ahmad Wani, didn’t make the report of the Central Food Laboratory Kolkata about Khyber Milk public for around 3 weeks and leaked it to the press only after Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) issued a statement to the media about Fennel (Saunf) powder manufactured M/S Kanwal Agro Food Industries Anantnag containing colouring agents Carmoisine and Tartrazine.
The court has directed the tradesmen who deal with these food items not to sell it to the consumers. The Government has been directed to seize the spices and the toned milk wherever it is available in the market and in the premises of the manufacturers.
The court passed these directions while hearing a PIL tilted Sheikh Mohammad Ayoub versus State of Jammu and Kashmir and others as Advocate Sheikh Mohammad Ayoub and Advocate T H Khawaja submitted before the court that as per media reports some species and toned milk has been found unsafe by the Central Food Laboratory Kolkata.
The court in order to verify the media reports sought the presence of Deputy Commissioner Food Safety Kashmir in the court who submitted the reports of the Central Food Laboratory Kolkata before the court, on the basis of which court passed these directions.
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