Amid growing outrage over “rotten, deep-frozen” meat being served to the public and tourists in food chains and restaurants across the Kashmir Valley, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has warned of exemplary punishments for all those violating food safety laws.
On Monday, Omar chaired a high-level meeting to review the ongoing food safety enforcement campaign, during which the authorities discovered that rotten meat had been converted into food products and sold to the public for months.
The Chief Minister warned of exemplary and punitive action against those storing and selling contaminated meat and food products in blatant violation of the law.
He said, “The Government of Jammu and Kashmir will initiate criminal proceedings against the involved persons and entities.” Omar said, “This grave problem has remained unchecked and unnoticed for too long. Criminal minds have played with the health and lives of people. This will end with everyone involved facing criminal charges for playing with public health.”
He lauded food safety officials for launching the drive and exposing dangerous practices in food chains across the Valley. “There will be an audit of the departments concerned and a mechanism to stop the import, sale and use of the unhygienic meat and other food items,” Omar added.
He ordered the establishment of checkpoints for the food trucks bringing meat and related products into the UT. Omar also ordered the setting up of testing laboratories at Lakhanpur and Qazigund to screen mutton, chicken, and other perishable items entering the state.
The meeting was attended by Health & Education Minister Sakina Itoo, Agriculture Minister Javed Ahmed Dar, Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Minister Satish Sharma, Advisor to the CM Nasir Aslam Wani, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary to the CM Dheeraj Gupta, Principal Secretary Agriculture Shailender Kumar, Commissioner Secretary Industries & Commerce Vikramjeet Singh, Commissioner Secretary Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Saurabh Bhagat, Secretary Health & Medical Education Dr Abid Rashid Shah, Director SKIMS Dr M. Ashraf Ganai, Principal GMC Srinagar Dr Iffat Hassan, Commissioner Food Safety Smita Sethi, and other senior officials.
Health secretary of Jammu and Kashmir Dr Syed Abid Rashid Shah (IAS) outlined an immediate 30-day action plan involving mapping all food businesses and vendors, intensified inspections, public reporting campaigns via “Dial 104”, community engagement initiatives, and establishing entry check posts at Lakhanpur and Qazigund.
Omar Abdullah also appealed to people to remain vigilant and avoid buying any processed meat from unauthorised vendors.
Health Secretary Dr Syed Abid Rashid Shah (IAS) outlined a 30-day action plan involving mapping all food businesses, intensified inspections, public reporting campaigns via “Dial 104,” community engagement initiatives, and establishing entry check posts at Lakhanpur and Qazigund.
Omar Abdullah also urged people to remain vigilant and avoid buying processed meat from unauthorised vendors.
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