Committee on Petitions vows zero tolerance against food adulteration

Srinagar, Aug 3: With public health at the core of its agenda, the Committee on Petitions of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly met Monday at the Assembly Secretariat under the chairmanship of MLA Pirzada Farooq Ahmad Shah.
The Committee had a comprehensive review of the status report submitted by the Food & Drugs Administration, J&K on the alarming issue of adulteration in essential food commodities like milk, meat, fish, vegetables, spices and packaged food across the Union Territory.
The meeting was attended by the committee members including Mir Mohammad Fayaz, Sheikh Ahsan Ahmad (Pardesi), Javaid Iqbal and Shagun Parihar.
Voicing the concerns of every household, the Chairman said that no citizen should be forced to compromise on the quality of food they consume. He directed all the concerned departments to adopt a coordinated, zero-tolerance and time-bound approach to root out adulteration and ensure that every plate served in J&K is safe, hygienic and of the highest quality.
Pirzada Farooq Ahmad Shah emphasized the need for regular market checking, public awareness campaigns and capacity building of Food Business Operators. He directed the department to conduct training programs for FBOs, food handlers and street vendors to promote hygiene and compliance.
Taking serious note of growing public health risk, the Chairman specifically directed that sale of antibiotics without a valid medical prescription by chemist shops must be strictly stopped and violators dealt with sternly. He also stressed that empowering the consumers through awareness on hygiene and food safety standards is equally important so that the people can make conscious and informed choices.
Commissioner Food & Drugs Administration Khalid Jahangir informed the Committee that the Food & Drugs Administration conducted 21,120 inspections in FY 2025-26 and lifted 10,444 samples. During the first quarter of FY 2026-27, 5,221 inspections have been carried out. He said that, to enhance on-spot testing, 25,003 samples had been analyzed through Mobile Food Testing Vans, including 4,178 samples during the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra 2026. To strengthen enforcement, Multi-Departmental Joint Enforcement Teams at District, Tehsil and Block level have been established for conducting special drives for fruits, milk, edible oils, ghee, honey and packaged water.
The Committee also noted the compliance report submitted by ADC Budgam regarding the appointment of Lumbardar for village Porwara, Tehsil Chadoora.
Secretary Legislative Assembly, SMC Commissioner, ADC Srinagar, ADC Budgam besides other senior officers of Drugs & Food Control Organization J&K were also present in the meeting.