Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has sealed a fake betel nut manufacturing unit of popular brand named “Bombay Sweet Supari” by rooting out the factory located at Multan Road, Lahore.
Acting on a tipoff, PFA team under the supervision of its Director General Irfan Memon raided a factory and caught huge consignment of betel nuts, including 1,000kg coloured supari, 900kg raw betel nuts, 192 packets of fake Bombay Supari and 25kg artificial sweeteners. The team confiscated packing material, hot plate, weighing machine, two mixer and two packing machines. He said that fake supari was being manufactured by using artificial sweeteners and chemicals. The raiding team also witnessed poor cleanliness arrangements and incomplete labelling on ready-to-eat product. He said that PFA had taken action against the factory for doing business without getting a food licence, failing to produce a record of raw material and on account of adulteration. The DG said the use of supari causes oral cavity cancer for its users as well tooth decay. According to the PFA Act, it is a heinous crime to prepare fake eatable. Meanwhile, PFA also sealed two food points and uprooted unhealthy vegetable crops by ploughing on 105-kanal land during the routine inspection operation in different districts of Punjab. The PFA Faisalabad team closed down Abdullah Ice Factory over the violation of emergency prohibition order (EPO), the presence of insects in production area, not having medical certificates and filtration plant. Another PFA team raided Timber Market Spices Grinding Unit in Gujranwala and sealed it on account of adulteration. In South Punjab, PFA discarded thousands of kilograms of toxic vegetables, including onion, tomato, coriander, spinach, green chilli and cauliflower. The DG said that PFA had warned farmers but they did not take authority’s instructions seriously. Teams have discarded unhealthy vegetables cultivated on 48-kanal land in Lodhran, 40-kanal land in Bahawalnagar, 16-kanal land in Bahawalpur and one kanal land in Rahim Yar Khan.
Irfan Memon warned farmers to avoid irrigating crops with sewerage water; otherwise, PFA will plough on crops as per law.
PLRA meeting: Punjab Land Record Authority (PLRA) held a meeting here on Tuesday.
The meeting was chaired by Sardar Ahmed Ali Khan Dareshak, Chairman PLRA. Senior members Dr Saqib Aziz, Yasrab Hanjra, Mubeedul din Qazi, Waqar Mushtaq and divisional commissioners attended the meeting. Muzam Iqbal Sipra presented 9th agenda of the meeting. Salaries of staff, annual increment, services regulations, groups insurances, etc, were discussed.