Punjab Assembly calls for crackdown on tainted milk

LAHORE:Ordering stern action against elements behind sale of adulterated milk and food in Punjab in guidance with the judicial framework of Lahore High Court, Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan has directed Punjab Food Department to perform its duty diligently.

Announcing imposition of emergency over the sale of adulterated milk, the PA speaker directed Price Control and Commodities Management Department to come up with concrete results in this regard.

During the Punjab Assembly session held on Thursday with Speaker Malik M Ahmad Khan in chair, Opposition MPA Asad Abbas took up the issue related to the sale of adulterated milk and food in the province. He also questioned the data provided by the Parliamentary Secretary concerned before the House about action against the elements involved in the practice.

Asad Abbas stated that in the last one year, only eight FIRs were registered against the accused and questioned whether only eight persons were involved in selling adulterated food. He asked had the Punjab been free of sale of substandard, adulterated food and if not, then why only eight people had been arrested or booked so far.

Malik Waheed, the Parliamentary Secretary of the department concerned on the occasion clarified that only eight cases were pending in the courts whereas 141 cases were registered, 1,230 notices were issued and fines were imposed against 596 people.

Asad insisted that number of FIRs had been higher but the official was not providing the actual number to the House. PMLN MPA from Toba Tek Singh Amjed Ali Javaid while speaking on the occasion said that milk mixed with chemical was being sold in Punjab.

PA speaker on the occasion directed the department officials concerned to go to the court and provide details about its laboratories and ensure a code of conduct under LHC rulings so that the elements involved in this act should directly go to jail rather than being released.

Parliamentary Secretary for Food on the occasion told the House that first the department will serve notices on the shopkeepers and then start action. The speaker directed the Parliamentary Secretary to ensure House rulings were implemented.

Moreover, the Parliamentary Secretary Malik Waheed also told the House that the government was coming up with new policy for the storage of wheat. Nadeem Qureshi, the PTI MPA from Multan stated that in most of wheat storages, there were no employees who could look after the situation.