Drink makers, PFA lock horns over sale ban on campuses

LAHORE: Manufacturers of soft, carbonated and energy drinks have locked horns with Punjab Food Authority (PFA) over the ban on sale of their products as the earlier have approached Punjab chief minister to intervene and redress their grievances.

Sources in PFA revealed that a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was held recently in which the complaints of soft, carbonated and energy drinks were taken up and discussed. Director General PFA Noorul Amin Mengal was also called in this meeting to give his point of view.

Sources said the manufacturers of soft, carbonated and energy drinks lodged their complained with the chief minister that PFA’s recent ban on sale of soft, carbonated and energy drinks inside schools and colleges as well as 100 meters around any school or college has damaged their business. Sources said that they pleaded before the chief minister to stop PFA from taking action against manufacturers as well as sellers operating around 100 meters of schools and colleges.

Sources claimed that the chief minister has constituted a technical committee to review the ban on soft, carbonated and energy drinks outside (100 meters) the schools and colleges. Sources further claimed that the chief minister directed the PFA DG to continue implementation of ban on soft, carbonated and energy drinks inside schools and colleges.

Sources further said the Punjab government has also taken up a stance against the transfer orders of PFA DG to Balochistan. They said the unexpected transfer was made by establishment division, Islamabad recently.

When contacted, PFA DG Noorul Amin Mengal said the chief minister has appreciated the PFA over its performance and directed the authority to implement the ban on soft drinks across the province.

Mengal said the authority has gone one step ahead and today (Saturday) has invited heads of all the big seminaries from across the province to PFA office where the PFA will brief them about hazardous impacts of soft, carbonated and energy drinks on students. He said these drinks will also be banned in all the seminaries across the province.

He said special teams of PFA were checking schools and colleges to implement the ban. He claimed that a chain of private schools has told him that they have imposed a ban on sale of soft, carbonated and energy drinks in all of their over 300 branches across the country. “This is a big achievement,” Mengal said, adding the parents are also appreciating the ban and tremendous response is being witnessed.

Over a question that the chief minister referred the issue to a technical committee, he said, the motive of PFA is not to discourage any business but to ensure provision of quality food to citizens. He said the PFA would work with manufacturers and will find a way to this problem.

Mengal said that children are future of this country and we will not allow anyone to play with their health. He also said that no compromise as well as no pressure would be accepted against enforcement of the new healthy food guidelines. Over a question about his transfer to Balochistan, Mengal said the decision was also unexpected for him. He said the Punjab government has refused to relieve him from the job he is doing.